Families of Children With Disabilities

Roughly 4% of families in the United States care for a child with a physical, developmental, or intellectual disability. Having a child with a disability can affect family dynamics and experiences in many ways, both positive (i.e., strengthening family ties) and negative (i.e., stress). In addition to the psychological and emotional challenges they may face, parents who have children with disabilities are also more likely than are other parents to experience economic difficulties. These challenges are further compounded for families from diverse sociocultural backgrounds, many of whom may face additional obstacles including language differences, societal discrimination, and a lack of familiarity with the education and service delivery systems available in the United States. Given that family involvement is crucial to children's academic success, particularly for ...