Parent stress, parenting competence and family-centered support to young children with an intellectual or developmental disability.

Dempsey et al. (2009) asked whether family-centered support lowers stress and raises competence in parents of young kids with ID or DD. They used a survey design with families already in early-intervention programs. The team measured three things: how much family-centered help parents got, how stressed they felt, and how capable they felt as parents.

More family-centered support meant less parent stress. The link was clear and strong. But the same support did not budge parents' sense of competence. Stress dropped; confidence stayed flat.

Callanan et al. (2021) seems to disagree. Their parent-coaching program cut stress and raised competence at the same time. The difference is method: John gave hands-on training, while Ian only measured existing services. Training beats passive support.

Saunders et al. (2005) and Bigby et al. (2009) back Ian up. Both found that parent thoughts—like locus of control and satisfaction—drive stress more than outside help. Family support matters, but inner beliefs matter more.

Whitehouse et al. (2014) add another piece. They show strong parent-school ties also lower stress. Pair Ian's family-centered services with good school teamwork for a double buffer.

Family-centered care is still worth offering—it reliably drops stress. Just do not expect it to build parenting skills on its own. Add brief parent coaching or cognitive reframing if you want the confidence gains too. Check locus of control and satisfaction first; these quick screens tell you who needs the extra layer.