A family's adaptation to a child's developmental disability is a continuous process that evolves over time. Although this process has attracted much theoretical and empirical debate, only a small number of studies have explored family adaptation to a child's disability from a longitudinal perspective. Recent research has suggested important associations among child developmental status, child behavior problems, and family adaptation. The proposed study will further explore the mechanisms that influence family adaptation processes in a longitudinal study of young children and their families. Specifically, the proposed study aims to determine the mediating role of child behavior problems in the link between child developmental level and family adaptation over time and will assess whether parent beliefs serve to moderate this association. Data for the proposed study will be drawn from a multi-site, longitudinal investigation which prospectively examines the interrelations among children's developmental status, family processes, child characteristics, and the emergence of psychopathology in young children across the ages of 3 to 9 years. Data for the study are collected using a multimethod, multi-informant approach involving structured parent interviews, parent-completed questionnaires, and independent observations of parent-child interaction in naturalistic and lab-based settings. A better understanding of the risks and protective factors that influence positive or negative family adaptation will provide insight into points of intervention to help these families succeed. Families of children with developmental delay are at risk for maladjustment. A better understanding of the risks and protective factors that affect a family's positive or negative adaptation will provide insight into points of intervention to help these families succeed. ? ? ? ?
