parent-child interactions

Question 1

What do we know about typical parent-child interactions?

Answer 1

There is an essential need for the formation of an attachment relationship
- creates a solid foundation for all future social relationships
- If either the child or the parent lacks the ability to engage with or respond to the other adequately, the quality of the relationship may deteriorate.
- Compensatory strategies may be employed by either the child or the parent to establish adequate reciprocity and emotional nurturance

In infancy, social competence may be defined in terms of the quality of the parent-child relationship

Question 2

Evidence that the infant is attuned to parent from an early age

Answer 2

E.g., Still face paradigm: sensitivity to mother’s emotions

Question 3

Child attachment styles to parent

Answer 3

• Strange Situation to assess quality of child attachment to caregiver
• Secure, insecure, avoidant, ambivalent/resistant

Question 4

Attachment and attunement to parent may affect joint attention and learning

Answer 4

• Dyadic
  – 0-9 months
• Parent –child
• Child-object
• Triadic interactions
  – 9-12 months
• Coordinated Parent –child-object

Question 5

Pointing in triadic interactions

Answer 5

• Imperative point
  – When they need something out of reach
• obtaining something for self
• Declarative point
  – Interest in an object or person
• sharing attention and interest with another
• Why is the distinction important in the context of parent-child interaction?

Question 6

Social referencing: Sharing with but also learning from parent

Answer 6

Taking cues from parent for emotional reactions in potentially ambiguous or fearful situations

Question 7

Joint attention encourages development in a few areas

Answer 7

• Language (e.g., labeling objects; vocabulary)
• Social-emotional (e.g., “reading” a social-emotional situation)
• Cognitive (e.g., theory of mind)

Question 8

How are children with DD different to parent?

Answer 8

• Emotional reaction to parent
• Attachment to parent
• Joint attention to parent
• How does the parent react differently to a child with DD?
• *Recall lecture 3 on genetics gene-environment interactions evocative interaction

Question 9

What is syndrome specific effects on parenting?

Answer 9

• Each child with DD has a different cognitive, social and emotional profile and will elicit different reactions from their parents.
• E.g., child with Down syndrome versus child with William’s syndrome
  – *Recall lecture 3 on genetics gene-environment interactions evocative interaction

Question 10

Etiology/syndrome specific effects on parenting

Answer 10

historical view

Question 11

The study of parent-child interactions in DD: What can it teach us?

Answer 11

• The role of the parent, parenting style on child’s developmental outcome
• The role of the child, child temperament/behaviour, etiology specific profile on parental efficacy and well being
• Alternative/specific parenting strategies needed to match the child’s developmental profile
• The specific interventions needed for parent and child to improve the match
• Helps us understand diversity in outcome even in children with similar condition(s)

Question 12

The Barnard Model of parent-child interaction

Answer 12

Caregiver/Parent Characteristics
*Sensitivity to cues
*Alleviation of Distress
*Providing Growth-Fostering Situations

Infant/Child Characteristics
*Clarity of Cues
*Responsiveness to Caregiver/Parent

Question 13

Attunement to child

Answer 13

• If a child points to a toy on a shelf and appears excited
  – Example of attunement
  attentional
  emotional
  cognitve (perspective taking)
  – Example of lack of attunement

Question 14

The parent-child interaction cycle and the potential effects of DD

Answer 14

• healthy attachment:
• behavioural synchrony
• turn taking
• reciprocity
• Infants with DD
  – may show less predictability, clarity and frequency in social cueing
  – show fewer approach behaviors, less persistence, lower thresholds for sensory stimulation and more passivity during play
  – Parents are more likely to misinterpret, over-interpret and/or occasionally miss cues
• may lead to a lack of synchrony or compatibility in the interaction.

Question 15

Increased structure and guidance in parenting

Answer 15

can lead to:
– improved functional use of objects
– compliance with requests
– increased activity during play

• However, Under these conditions, parents may focus their attention to structuring, scaffolding and controlling the interaction and less on emotional attachment
• may disrupt the synchrony between the parent and child
  – Greater risk for insecure attachment

Question 16

Quality of parentchild relationship: child characteristic and community supports

Answer 16

• The quality of parent-child interactions may vary as a function of child characteristics
• Emotional responsiveness
• Lethargy, poor muscle tone
• Readability of cues
• Attention to cues
• The quality of parent-child interactions may vary as a function of family and community resources and supports
• Within the first year parents
• make sense of a host of medical and other diagnostic information on DD
• procure specialized professionals and services
• procure resources to finance such services
• possibly experience negative attitudes from health professionals and others in their social networks, particularly with regard to expectations about their child’s future

Question 17

Adjusting to child characteristics

Answer 17

• Mothers of children with DS provide more directives in their social interactions
  – This may limit children’s development of executive function

– Attachment
* Muted or less readable distress upon separation
* Less need for consoling

– Joint attention
* Less frequent

Question 18

Maladjustment to child characteristics

Answer 18

Harsh parenting
- Greater risk of behaviour problems

Inconsistent parenting
- Insecure attachment
- poorer social skills

Question 19

Bio-anthropological perspective on parenting children with DD

Answer 19

• Parental investment in offspring
  – Parents show different levels of investment in offspring depending on different situational characteristics and characteristics in the offspring
• Availability of resources (food, shelter, dependable mate)
• Signs of health and reproductive fitness
• In order to promote their genetic lineage

– Implications for children with DD (e.g., foster care, neglect)

• Parental preparedness (expectations, prototype for healthy offspring)
  – Expectations leading to differences in behaviour
  – What does identical twin sisters study show? (One has autism the other doesn’t)
• Parent does not receive reinforcement from child (who was later diagnosed with autism). The dyadic interaction was different than twin sibling (e.g., less eye contact, sharing of attention and enjoyment )

Question 20

Cues that may influence parent behaviour

Answer 20

• Baby crying (communicative signal)
• Baby has attractive features

Question 21

Parental Insightfulness may buffer effect of DD on attachment

Answer 21

• Positively insightful
  – Considering underlying motives of the child’s behaviour
  – Holding on to an emotionally complex view of the child
  – Showing openness to new and unexpected information about the child

Question 22

Naturalistic fallacy

Answer 22

• Because it happens does not mean it’s right or morally desirable
  – Unconscious processes
  – Can inform decisions about intervention/support for parents during vulnerable times

Question 23

What does the bio-anthropological perspective on parenting teach us about parenting children with DD?

Answer 23

• To be aware of potential risks that affect both the child and parent (mostly the parent-child interaction over time) and areas for prevention or intervention
• Examples: Parents need support to parent child with DD
  – Financial and emotional
  – To avoid risk of abuse/neglect
  – Respite

Question 24

The Down syndrome advantage

Answer 24

• Parents of children with Down syndrome have better experience parenting as compared to parents of other types of DD (e.g., autism)
• Child or other factors involved?
  – Child characteristics (e.g., social motivation and engagement is high, fewer behaviour problems)
  – Parents may be older and more prepared to deal with child issues