An intervention using the Parenting Toolkit "Children-What does it involve?" and the Real-Care-Baby simulator among students with intellectual disability-A feasibility study.

BACKGROUND: There is limited knowledge about how young people with intellectual disability can be facilitated in their process of deciding about parenthood. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of an upcoming trial to evaluate an intervention using the Toolkit "Children-what does it involve?" and the "Real-Care-Baby" (RCB) simulator among students with intellectual disability. METHODS: Six students with intellectual disability participated in an intervention with eight educational sessions and a 3-day caring session with the RCB simulator. Data were collected with questionnaires and interviews. RESULTS: The study showed that it is possible to evaluate an intervention using these instruments among students with intellectual disability in order to provide them with further insights about parenthood. CONCLUSION: It is feasible to evaluate the Toolkit and the RCB in a cluster-randomized study and that such a study could add to our knowledge about possible intervention strategies regarding reproduction and parenting among students with intellectual disability.

Maternal Sensitivity in Mothers with Mild Intellectual Disabilities is Related to Experiences of Maltreatment and Predictive of Child Attachment: A Matched-Comparison Study.

BACKGROUND: Scientific knowledge on the quality of caregiving/maternal sensitivity among mothers with mild intellectual disabilities (ID) is limited and subject to many methodological shortcomings, but seems to suggest that these mothers are less sensitive than mothers without intellectual disabilities. METHODS: In this matched-comparison study (N = 48), the present authors observed maternal sensitivity for 20 min in four different laboratory play situations. The study also included semi-structured interviews to assess maternal experiences of maltreatment and child attachment. RESULTS: The present authors found significantly lower sensitivity among mothers with intellectual disabilities than among a comparison group of mothers without intellectual disabilities. Among mothers with intellectual disabilities, low sensitivity was related to maternal experiences of maltreatment and predictive of disorganized child attachment. In the comparison group, high maternal sensitivity was related to partner presence and social support, and predictive of child intelligence. CONCLUSIONS: The present authors highlight the importance of attending to intellectual disabilities mothers' history of receiving care to understand their capacity for giving adequate care.

Mothers with intellectual disability, their experiences of maltreatment, and their children's attachment representations: a small-group matched comparison study.

Maternal intellectual disability (ID) is regarded a risk factor in child development, but there is no scientific evidence on maternal ID in relation to children's attachment. Using a matched comparison design, a small group (n = 23) of mothers diagnosed with ID was studied to help fill this gap. Besides maternal ID, we examined the role of abuse/trauma/maltreatment (ATM) in the mothers' biographies, along with potential confounds. Comparison group mothers (n = 25) had normal variations in intelligence and matched mothers with ID on residential area, income, child age, and sex. History of maternal ATM was assessed using a semi-structured interview and was found to be significantly more likely in the ID group mothers' experience than the comparison group mothers. Children's (M age = 77 months) attachment representations were assessed with the Separation Anxiety Test. Among children of mothers with ID, a substantial minority (35%) had a secure and the vast majority (>80%) an organized attachment representation. Mothers with ID who had suffered elevated ATM were significantly more likely to have children who were scored high on disorganization and insecurity. We discuss possible implications of our findings for societal considerations regarding parenting and child attachment in the context of parental ID status.