I was looking for peer reviewed journals and articles in the UC Library and came across a research article that shared interviews that were conducted with fifteen parents and two grandparents of children with developmental disabilities. The interviews concentrated on the specific ways they made positive adaptions to their lives. I thought that this article was a good source for parents and families to refer to when attempting to cope with stress. Common themes found by Maul and Singer included:

1. Lost opportunities replaced by new opportunities: families choose to look at changes as new opportunities that are different but good and satisfying.

2. The family as a team: the whole family works together to create a “team”.

3. Time adaptations: slow down general pace of life, avoid unscheduled time, adjust work schedules, need for advanced planning.

4. The idiosyncratic nature of family accommodations: family – specific accommodations and individualized approaches.

5. Insistence on normalcy with a resistance to stigma: belief that the sacrifices they made were not much different from what parents do for any child.

All of the families also stated that in order to find what worked for their family and child they used trial and error. The article listed examples of  family-generated accommodations made for children with developmental disabilities. Some of the issues listed are behavior difficulties, family fun, pets, sleeping at night, and work with examples of accommodations that can be made. (This is a brief overview of the article.)

As I inquire into the topic of stress and parenting a child with a disability, I am finding that coping strategies, adaptations, and accommodations are very personal. There is a wide range of family dynamics, needs, and disabilities. Families need support in finding what works best for their family situation.

Maul, C. A., & Singer, G. H. S. (2009). "Just good different things". Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 29(3), 155-170. doi:10.1177/0271121408328516