Abstract
Objectives
Children with neurodevelopmental delays show higher levels of externalizing behavioral problems, resulting in increased parental stress. This study aims to determine if the frequency of family routines moderates children’s externalizing problems and associated parental stress based on children’s cognitive ability longitudinally.
Methods
Children with neurodevelopmental delays and caregivers (N = 202) participated in assessments that included the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Forth Edition, Child Behavior Checklist, Parent Daily Report, and Family Routines Inventory. Child participants were 28 to 72 months old (M = 48.00, SD = 10.652) and predominantly male (69.3%).
Results
Frequency of family routines at baseline (b = − .375, SE = .112, p = .001) was associated with lower child externalizing behaviours at baseline (b = − .104, SE = .047, p = .031). Frequency of family routines moderated parental stress for children with average (i.e., at the mean; b = − .211, SE = .119, p = .08) and above average (i.e., 1SD above mean; b = − .436, SE = .177, p = .02) nonverbal skills. Longitudinally, increased frequency of family routines (b = − .193, SE = .092, p = .04) was associated with less child externalizing behaviors.
Conclusions
Findings demonstrate that routines may reduce parental stress, but the use of routines alone may be less practical for children with lower verbal skills. Additionally, the importance of routines for minimizing behavioral problems in children was significant for children with average or higher nonverbal skills at baseline, suggesting that nonverbal skills are protective for these children.
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Data Availability
This study was a secondary analysis of a larger dataset used in conjunction with another research team; therefore, the data is not widely available.
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Funding
This study was funded by R01HD075716 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Student research was supported through the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.
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K. H.: assisted with data analysis and wrote the paper. S. S.: analyzed the data and wrote the results. M. R. S.: collaborated in the writing and editing of the final manuscript. L. E. R. and P. A. P.: shared senior authorship and collaborated in the design and editing of the final manuscript.
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Hatherly, K., Stienwandt, S., Salisbury, M.R. et al. Routines as a Protective Factor for Emerging Mental Health and Behavioral Problems in Children with Neurodevelopmental Delays. Adv Neurodev Disord 7, 35–45 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41252-022-00260-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41252-022-00260-y