Family Coping in Families with a Child with a Disability

This study investigates the relationship between a family's problem solving and coping strategies, and family adjustment in a sample of families with a child with a disability. Participants were 89 parents of children with disabilities, not including children with learning disabilities, in Special Education classes, in rural and urban school districts. Family adjustment was measured by the Family Assessment Device-General Functioning scale and the family's problem solving and coping strategies were measured by the Family Crisis Oriented Personal Evaluation Scales (F- COPES). The results indicate that less frequent use of passive appraisal and more frequent use of reframing are associated with family adjustment. Interventions for modifying a family's coping strategies are discussed.