Creating Supportive Connections: A Decade of Research on Support for Families of Children with Disabilities

Raising a child with disabilities involves balancing a number of challenges, including seeking and gaining support. A synthesis of past research on support for families is needed to map directions for future research. This article reviews the past 10 years of empirical research on formal and informa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Health communication 2008-09, Vol.23 (5), p.413-426
Main Author: Canary, Heather E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Child
Children with disabilities
Communication
Disabled Children
Empirical Research
Families
Family - psychology
Humans
Intervention
Minority & ethnic groups
Social Support
Socioeconomic factors
Support networks
Wellbeing
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Summary:Raising a child with disabilities involves balancing a number of challenges, including seeking and gaining support. A synthesis of past research on support for families is needed to map directions for future research. This article reviews the past 10 years of empirical research on formal and informal support for families of children with disabilities. The review includes quantitative and qualitative studies representing several disciplines. Nine focus areas are identified: well-being, resources and socioeconomic factors, culture and minorities, intervention, extended families, siblings, professional support relationships, religion, and policy. Research is synthesized within each of the focus areas and suggestions are provided for future communication research. Dominant theories in existing studies are reviewed with directions for future theory-driven communication research.
ISSN:1041-0236
1532-7027
DOI:10.1080/10410230802342085