Includes bibliographical references (p. 173-216) and index.

Preface -- Introduction -- Initial experience and reactions -- Stress, coping, and growth -- Family change and reorganization -- Medical issues and medical professionals -- Special education, inclusion, and advocacy -- Social exclusion and social support -- Developmental disabilities through the life span -- Life challenges and life stories -- Death and bereavement -- Clinical implications -- Conclusions and future directions -- References.

This book is for clinical psychologists and other professionals who work with parents and families of children with developmental disabilities. Citing a total of 550 research articles and books (most published since 2000), Carroll (University of Wisconsin-Superior) surveys the literature on the impact of the stress that parents face when they have a child with developmental disabilities. The work surveyed includes quantitative and qualitative research, as well as descriptions of programs that train parents to deal with a child's problem behaviors. Chapters are grouped in sections on challenges through the life span from birth through childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and death and bereavement. About 40 pages of references list hundreds of books and journal articles. The author holds advanced degrees in experimental and developmental psychology and is also the parent of a child with a developmental disability.

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