The influence of the family environment on adaptive functioning in the classroom: A longitudinal study of children with developmental disabilities

Background: No study has examined trajectories of school-based adaptive functioning (AF) for children with developmental disabilities (DD). This is a critical gap in the literature, since AF is context dependent, and high levels of AF at school facilitate meaningful participation at school. Aims: This study examined trajectories of school-based AF for 170 children with DD from age 3 to 15 years, and indicators of the early childhood home and family environment as predictors of these trajectories. Methods: Multilevel modeling was used to explore trajectories of school-based AF and identify early childhood home and family predictors of these trajectories. Results: Children's school-based AF raw scores increased over time. There was significant variability in initial status and rate of change of AF. As hypothesized, higher quality mother-child interaction predicted more positive functioning. Conclusions: Findings indicate the influence of the early childhood home and family environment on school-based AF over time.