SOCIOEMOCIONALNA POSVEĆENOST RODITELJA DECE SA SMETNJAMA U RAZVOJU: RAZLIKE IZMEĐU MAJKI I OČEVA.

Parents of children with disability are faced with care demands more challenging and much different than care demands in parenting typicaly developed child. Care quality and parental sensitivity are often lower in families of children with disabilities, than in families of tipicaly developed children, which results in higher incidence of insecure attachment. One of possible explanations lays in assumption that there are many psychological and sociodemographic factors affecting parents' capacity for caring. The main aim of this study was to examine the differences in care quality, measured through parental investment, between parents of children with disabilities and parents of typicaly developed children. According to the previous research results which suggests that mothers' and fathers' care quality provision differs, the next aim in this study was to examine the gender differences in parental investment. The sample consisted of 75 mothers and 75 fathers of children with disabilities and 127 mothers and 127 fathers of typicaly developed children. To assess the quality of parental investment in child we used PIC scale (Parental Investment and Child Questionnaire, Bradley, 1997). The results showed statisticaly significant difference in parental investment between parents of children with disability and parents of typicaly developed children (F=10.72; df(1); p<.01). Gender effect wasn't significant. Structure analysis showed that the two groups of parents differ mostly in Accepting parenting role and child (wλ=0.94, F(4,346)=5.68, p<.01). The results were interpreted according to theoretical starting point, in light of inner working models and accepting child's diagnosis. Results are suggesting that more research should be done on investigating factors that contribute to lower care quality in families of children with disabilities. The results were interpreted in the light of practical implications as well, raising a question of guidelines for planing interventions and programs to enhance parental sensitivity and care quality in families of children with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]