Influences on Maternal Responsiveness to Developmentally Delayed Preschoolers

Forty preschoolers with Down syndrome, 29 with a neurological impairment, and 40 with delays of unknown etiology were videotaped in a free play situation with their mothers. A composite rating of maternal behavior, indexing maternal responsiveness, was treated as the outcome measure in a series of regression analyses to assess the effects of maternal and paternal well-being and psychosocial support, and child characteristics and behavior, on maternal responsiveness. Parental age, mother's support, and child responsiveness contributed to maternal responsiveness. Families with older parents, better maternal support, and more responsive children had more responsive mothers.