Looking beyond maternal sensitivity: Mother-child correlates of attachment security among children with intellectual disabilities in urban India

Aesha John, Amanda Sheffield Morris, Amy L. Halliburton

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study examined correlates of attachment security among children with intellectual disabilities in urban India. Survey and observational data were gathered from 47 children, mothers, and teachers on children's attachment security, adaptive functioning, and mother-child emotional availability. The data were analyzed to examine whether child emotional availability mediates the links between maternal emotional availability and child attachment security, and between child functioning and attachment security. The results supported full mediation, indicating that children's emotional availability was a primary mechanism through which maternal emotional availability and child functioning were linked to attachment security among children in our sample. The study findings are discussed in the context of implications for family interventions and research on socio-emotional development among children with intellectual disabilities.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2335-2345
Number of pages11
JournalJournal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Volume42
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2012

Keywords

  • Attachment security
  • Child functioning
  • Emotional availability
  • India
  • Intellectual disability
  • Mother-child interaction

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