Parenting Matters! The Biopsychosocial Context of Parenting Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Canada

Principal Investigator: Peter Rosenbaum (Nominated)
Co-Principal Investigators: L. Lach, D. Kohen
Co-Investigators:            R. Birnbaum, J. Brehaut, R. Garner, M. McKenzie, T. McNeill, A. Niccols, D. Nicholas & M. Saini
Funding Source:              Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Period:                                 2009-2013

Surprisingly little is known about the processes involved in parenting children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) given the complex emotional, behavioral and social problems that are either features or correlates of these conditions. The main goal of these studies are to gain a better understanding of the extent to which parenting children with NDD differs from parenting in general, what makes a difference to parenting, the difference that parenting makes to child outcomes, and whether there are ways of understanding parenting that is unique to this population.

Four multi-method projects address these questions:

  • Using an internationally recognized protocol for conducting a systematic review of quantitative and qualitative research, parenting behavior, cognition and style as well as social, family and child correlates of parenting will be established;
  • Secondary data analyses of the Canadian population-based National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY) will quantitatively compare parenting children with NDD to parenting typically developing children;
  • A clinical study will examine predictors and experiences of parenting children with NDD;
  • A review of the legislation as well as a survey of existing policies and programs will be conducted to document those services available to Canadian parents of children with NDD in the areas of income support, respite/alternative care and case management.

This will provide a solid basis against which to develop policy and practice recommendations.


PARENTING MATTERS team of Research Assistants 

Research Assistants: Sacha Bailey, Aline Bogossian, Gina Glidden, Radha Macculloch, Anne Ritzema

Back to top