title: Relationship dimensions of the 'Down syndrome advantage'.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Some researchers have proposed an 'advantage' for parents of children with Down syndrome over parents of children with other intellectual disabilities, especially in relation to experiencing less parenting stress. Others have maintained that these differences are an artefact of demographic and related differences. This study extends the investigation of possible differences in dimensions of parenting stress and also examines whether differences exist in maternal and child contingent responsiveness during mother-child interaction in these two groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mothers of children with Down syndrome (n = 43) and undifferentiated developmental disabilities (n = 54) completed measures of children's adaptive functioning and behaviour problems, parenting stress and maternal social support. Observers rated the contingent interactions between mothers and children using the Nursing Child Assessment Teaching Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Once mother's age, education and social support as well as child adaptive functioning and behaviour problems were considered, neither parent nor child related parenting stress demonstrated an advantage for parents of children with Down syndrome. However, a 'Down syndrome advantage' was apparent for both maternal and child contingent responsiveness after accounting for maternal demographic and contextual variables and child attributes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children with Down syndrome and their mothers have more positive interactions than children with other developmental disabilities, both in terms of the responsiveness of mothers and of child responses contingent on maternal behaviour. These findings suggest that both children with Down syndrome themselves and their mothers are contributing to a Down syndrome advantage.
authors: Colby-Sawyer College, Social Sciences and Education, New London, NH, USA.
authors: D B
authors: DB
authors: Mitchell
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Hauser-Cram
authors: M K
authors: MK
authors: Crossman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D009034:Mother-Child Relations / Q000523:psychology*; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology
keywords: Down syndrome; behavioural phenotypes; intellectual disability; parents