Social networks of mothers of physically handicapped and nonhandicapped preschoolers: Group differences and relations to mother-child interaction

This study addresses three issues: (a) whether the social networks of mothers of children with physical handicaps differ from those of mothers of children without handicaps, (b) whether the two groups differ on which network characteristics are percieved as satisfying, and (c) whether network characteristics are related to the same parenting behavior in both groups. Sixty-eight mothers of 4-year-old children (24 with physical handicaps) were interviewed and completed diaries about their social networks; they were also observed playing with their children. The social networks of both groups of mothers were found to be quite similar. Despite this similarity, network satisfaction was associated with different network characteristics in the two groups. Mothers of children with handicaps were more satisfied (and mothers of children without handicaps were less satisfied) with close-knit, interconnected networks. Finally, in both groups, mothers whose networks were more interconnected and interacted more frequently showed less facilitation of independence with their children.