Parent Couples' Coping Resources and Involvement in their Children's Intervention Program

Parental involvement is vital to the implementation of intervention programs for deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children. The current study examined the dyadic relationships between mothers' and fathers' coping resources and their involvement in their child's intervention program. In addition, the moderating roles of parent's gender and family religiosity on the associations between coping resources and involvement were examined. Seventy Jewish couples of parents of DHH children, representing various levels of religiosity, completed questionnaires regarding involvement in their child's intervention program, child acceptance, parental self-efficacy, and perceived social support. Multilevel modeling analyses were used to test actor-partner interdependence. The findings indicated significant actor effects for child acceptance, parental self-efficacy, and social support. All were positively associated with parental involvement. Gender was found to moderate the actor effect of child acceptance. Partner effects were found only for mothers, for child acceptance, and social support. Fathers' child acceptance and social support were negatively associated with mothers' involvement. Religiosity did not moderate neither actor nor partner effects. These results have important implications for planning intervention programs that are sensitive to each of the parent's needs.