Routines as a Protective Factor for Emerging Mental Health in Children with Developmental Delays

• In Event: Poster Session 09
  In Poster Session: PS 09 Topic - Developmental Disabilities

Abstract

Introduction
Children with developmental delays show significantly higher level of externalizing behavioral problems, resulting in increased parental stress. This study aims to determine if family routine frequency is associated with parent-reported child mental health and behavioral problems, and if said association is moderated by child cognitive ability.
Methods
During the pre- and post-assessments (approximately 12 weeks after the pre-assessments), families participated in assessments that included the Weschler Primary Scale of Intelligence-IV (verbal and performance IQ), Child Behavior Checklist (child emotional and behavioral problems), and Parent Daily Report (frequency of child behaviors within a 24-hour period). Child participants were 8 to 72 months old (M = 48.00, SD = 10.652) and predominantly male (69.3%).
Results
Child sex was negatively correlated with change in parent stress, with parents of girls reporting greater decreases in stress over time [r(128) = -.222, p = .011]. Frequency of family routines was analyzed as a potential moderator of two relationships of interest; 1) child verbal and nonverbal intelligence and child problem behaviours and 2) child verbal and nonverbal intelligence and longitudinally measured parent-reported stress. Frequency of family routines at baseline (𝛽 = -.375, SE = .112, p = .001) was associated with lower externalizing child behaviours. Additionally, frequency of family routines (𝛽 = -.104, SE = .047, p = .031) and annual household income (𝛽 = -.468, SE = .149, p = .002) were associated with lower parenting stress. The moderating effects of frequency of family routines on the link between children’s nonverbal language skills and parental stress demonstrated higher frequency of family routines was associated with less parental stress for children with average nonverbal skills (𝛽 = -.211, SE = .119, p =.078) and higher nonverbal skills (i.e., 1SD above mean; 𝛽= -.436, SE = .177, p =.015) but not for children with lower non-verbal skills. Longitudinally, change in frequency of family routines (𝛽 = -.193, SE = .092, p = .039) was associated with less change in externalizing behaviors of children.
Discussion
Findings demonstrate that routines assist in moderating parental stress, but the use of routines may be less relevant for children with lower verbal skills. Additionally, the importance of routines for mental health and behavioral problems in children was significant for children with average or higher nonverbal skills at baseline, suggesting that nonverbal skills are protective for child with developmental delays.

Authors

• Kathryn Rollins, University of Western Ontario
  Presenting Author

• Shaelyn Stienwandt, University of Manitoba
  Non-Presenting Author

• Leslie E. Roos, University of Manitoba
  Non-Presenting Author

• Philip Andrew Fisher, University of Oregon
  Non-Presenting Author