Advantage profiles: a tool for health care professionals working with parents with mental retardation

Health professionals concerned about the needs of parents with mental retardation are beginning to distinguish characteristics which facilitate and inhibit their parenting abilities. Child health is dependent on adequate parenting abilities. A composite of research findings has been derived to develop not only a risk profile that identifies potential problem areas, but also an advantage profile that identifies specific strengths of parents with mental retardation. The advantage profile uniquely focuses on parental assets that can be reinforced and used to foster child health.