| Affiliation: | (1) Pediatric Research Centre, Tampere University Hospital, Finland and Department of Psychology, University of Tampere, Finland;(2) Department of Developmental and Experimental Clinical Psychology, University of Groningen, The Netherlands;(3) Pediatric Research Centre, Tampere University Hospital, Finland;(4) Department of Psychology, University of Tampere, Finland;(5) TAUH Department of Pediatric Neurology, Tampere, Finland, FIN-33521, BOX 2000 |
| Abstract: | Sixty children with functional motor limitations (age range from 15months to 7years 3months) and their parents participated in the study. The objective was to explore the relationship of the severity of their restrictions on family strengths. Functional motor abilities of the children were assessed using Autti-Ramo s Scale. Cognitive functions were assessed using the Swedish standardized version of the Griffiths Scales of Mental Development. Family strengths were indexed using the Family Functioning Style Scale. The social-economical status, childrens age and caretakers age were taken into account. Overall, the results indicated that family strengths were rather strong. Only families rearing a child with severe participation limitations (functional motor limitations and cognitive difficulties) showed less strengths concerning family identity and internal coping relative to families with a child with milder participation limitations.This research has been made possible by the grants of theTampere University Foundation and Medical Research Fund of Tampere University Hospital, Finland. We thank Matti Koivikko, MD, PhD, and Markku Ojanen, PhD, for their critical comments. |
