The purpose of this project is twofold: 1) gain additional training in conducting research and primary data collection/analyses in developing countries, with a focus on issues related to early intervention for children with disabilities; and 2) to obtain more knowledge about the influence of psychosocial, resource and cultural factors on the needs of children with disabilities and their families in developing countries. The candidate wishes to pursue a career in international rehabilitation, with the ultimate goal of contributing to improved conditions for children with disabilities and their families in developing countries. Her immediate goal is to combine her backgrounds in cross-cultural and disability studies to address the global issue of the factors that influence the conditions of children with disabilities and families. The candidate's long-term goals include embarking on a career of independent research and teaching in international rehabilitation for children with disabilities and their families and conducting field research. This award will allow the candidate to benefit from a period of mentored research in international rehabilitation for children and gain necessary experience in conducting field research and primary collection in a developing country. The candidate plans to spend about five months per year for this five-year project primarily in Hanoi, Vietnam, and the remainder of the year at the New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities in the U.S. under the guidance of Drs. Peter Vietze, Tran Trong Hai, Judith Ladinsky and Nguyen Viet Nhan. During this time, she will attend relevant seminars and courses for additional training in the field, including courses in Vietnamese language, advanced statistics, and longitudinal research methods at the City University of New York and New York University. The early intervention study will involve a comprehensive assessment of children with disabilities at the time the parent enters the treatment study and again at 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. The primary aims of the study are: 1) to examine the level of child's and family variables over the course of the intervention program; 2) to explore potential factors that cause these changes including stressors and family patterns; and 3) to test whether changes in child adaptation, the hypothesized variables, and the relation between parent and child symptoms differ as a function of the type of services they received. It is expected that the study will represent a unique opportunity to further our understanding of the familial context for child disabilities that can serve as a guide for the development of intervention programs for young children with disabilities in developing countries.
| Shin, J; Nhan, N V; Crittenden, K S et al. (2006) Parenting stress of mothers and fathers of young children with cognitive delays in Vietnam. J Intellect Disabil Res 50:748-60 |
