Child development, social support and stress in parents of young children with special needs

Abstract

This study has attempted to clarify how parents of young children with special needs in Singapore perceive their disabilities and how stressed they feel as a result. VABS is employed for rating the functional levels of children with disabilities in tandem with QRS-F which is used for rating parental stress. The relationships between child characteristics, socio-ecological characteristics, and social support network on parental stress are examined.