A systematic comparison of the association between father- and mother-child interactions and the development of adaptive behaviour in toddlers with Down syndrome and typical development

This study assessed the association between Parent-Child Interactions and the development of Adaptive Behaviour, and systematically compared mother-child vs father-child interactions, and toddlers with Down Syndrome versus typically developing ones. 30 toddlers with Down Syndrome and 30 typically developing counterparts paired by developmental age from Santiago de Chile (12–24 months-old), were recorded interacting with each of their parents separately. Fathers were overall equally sensitive than mothers, and parents of toddlers with Down syndrome were overall more directive. Maternal directivity showed the highest association with adaptive development— albeit only in toddlers with typical development. Paternal overall sensitivity was– with only a few exceptions –systematically associated to adaptive development, regardless of the assessed group. The present study strongly suggests that paternal sensitivity during playtime is just as relevant for the adaptive behaviour of toddlers as is maternal sensitivity, particularly in the case of toddlers with Down syndrome.