Parental attitudes and practices in families with siblings with and without intellectual disability: Influences of sociodemographic and child-related factors.
Parents naturally give more structure and freedom to typical siblings—train them to share that same balanced style with the child who has ID.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team asked parents about the way they raise each child. They wanted to know if moms and dads use different styles when one child has an intellectual disability and the other does not.
Families filled out a survey. They told how strict, warm, or hands-off they are with every son and daughter.
What they found
Parents said they give more rules and more chances to choose to the child without disability. They were more relaxed and less strict with the child who has ID.
When the child with ID had Down syndrome, or when the family had more money and schooling, parents reported warmer and more positive feelings overall.
How this fits with other research
Phillips et al. (2017) saw the opposite pattern: moms of kids with Down syndrome were more permissive and less authoritative. The new study shows the same moms can flip styles when they also have a typical child at home.
Takahashi et al. (2023) found Chinese moms of kids with ID used more authoritarian control, not less. Culture and stress level may explain why some parents tighten the rules while others loosen them.
Boswell et al. (2023) link an authoritative, autonomy-support style to higher self-determination in youth with IDD. The current paper hints parents already lean that way with their typical kids—so teach them to export the same style to the child with ID.
Why it matters
You may write separate behavior plans for each child. This paper says also look at the family dance—how parents switch styles between siblings. Coach them to offer the same warmth, clear rules, and chances to choose to every child. A quick parent interview at intake can show if stress, money worries, or child diagnosis color their view. Fix those first and the home program sticks better.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Parenting styles and attitudes are a relevant factor of a child's developmental environment. When parents raise both a child with an intellectual disability and a typically developing (TD) sibling, their approaches may differ due to factors related to the child, family, and social context. This study explored whether parenting styles and attitudes are consistent across children and examined whether sociodemographic and child-related factors explain variations in parenting behaviors. METHOD: Ninety-five parents with one child diagnosed with intellectual disability (according to DSM-5 criteria) and a TD sibling, participated. Data analyses included t-tests, ANOVAs, and mixed-design ANOVAs to compare parenting styles and attitudes across siblings while controlling for sociodemographic factors. RESULTS: Parents reported more authoritative and less permissive parenting, and greater satisfaction and autonomy promotion with their TD child compared to their child with intellectual disability. More positive parenting attitudes and less permissiveness were observed when the etiology of intellectual disability was Down syndrome, which extended to their sibling. Attending regular schools (vs. special education) was associated with less permissive parenting. Higher SES was related to greater promotion of autonomy and, for the TD child, to more parenting satisfaction and less permissiveness. CONCLUSIONS: The study provides evidence of both consistency and variation in parenting practices within families. Differences in parental attitudes and behaviors appear to be shaped not only by individual child characteristics but also by environmental factors such as school context and SES. These results suggest that parents adapt their parenting styles and attitudes between siblings, which is influenced by sociodemographic and child-related factors.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2025 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2025.105107