The Influence Of Developmental Support in the Home Environment for Firstborn and Later-born Infants with Disabilities

Some children, such as children with disabilities, may be extra sensitive to variations in the developmental supportiveness of their home environments (Belsky, 2015). A child with a disability may benefit from a mother with experience raising a first child who can more readily sustain positive developmental support for a later child whose cues are hard to read (Fleming et al., 1987). One way parents provide developmental support is by creating a responsive and stimulating home environment (Elardo, Bradley, & Caldwell, 1977). This project aims to explore the home environment across infancy in relation to age 3 development of firstborn and later-born infants with disabilities. Data from 309 infants with disabilities in the US Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project included the Home Observation for the Measurement of the Environment (HOME; Caldwell & Bradley, 1984) at 14, 24, and 36 months. Infant cognitive development was measured at 36 months using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (Bayley-II; Balyey, 1993) Mental Development Index and social development with the Emotional Regulation and Orientation/Engagement subscales of the Bayley Behavior Rating Scale. The home environment at 14, 24, and 36 months was significantly correlated with infant development at 36 months. When examined separately by birth order, firstborn infants had different outcomes than later-born infants. The 14-month home environment was associated with cognitive development for firstborn infants and social development for later-born infants. The 24-month home environment was associated with cognitive development for firstborn infants and social development for first and later-born infants. The 36-month home environment was associated with cognitive and social development for first and later-born infants. Results suggest that developmentally supportive home environments positively influence development for infants with disabilities, with more specificity earlier in infancy