Parent-child interaction: a comparison of parents' perceptions in three groups.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate a children's version of the ICF that takes children's dependency on their parents and a developmental perspective into consideration.


METHODS
This study explored how 91 parents perceived child participation in terms of parent/child immediate interaction, and desires for ideal interaction in relation to body impairments and activity limitations. Similarities and differences were investigated in three matched groups of families through questionnaires. Group 1 consisted of parents of children with profound multiple disabilities, Group 2 was developmentally matched and Group 3 was matched according to chronological age.


RESULTS
The children with profound multiple disabilities expressed the same amount of emotions as the other groups, but they had difficulties expressing more complex emotions. Parents perceived the children's behaviour styles in a similar way in the three groups. There were significant differences in how the immediate interaction was perceived with parents to children of Group 1 perceiving difficulties in maintaining joint attention and directing attention.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that parental perceptions of the interaction with their children with profound multiple disabilities in the immediate setting to a certain extent are related to the body impairments of the children but not strongly to communicative skills /activity limitations. Thus, to focus communication intervention on participation and interaction, assessment and questions to parents have to be focused directly on these issues.
Wilder
J
J
Department of Social Sciences, Mälardalen University, 721-23 Västerås, Sweden.
Axelsson
C
C
Granlund
M
M
D000015:Abnormalities, Multiple / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D019988:Children with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010465:Perception; D011336:Probability; D012307:Risk Factors; D012657:Self-Help Groups; D012944:Social Support