Family Structure and the Lives of Children with Intellectual Disabilities

Abstract

Quality of life (QOL) is an important outcome in clinical care and service evaluation for children with intellectual disabilities. The lives of these children are more complex than those of typically-developing children, causing stresses for parents that can influence marital relationships. Existing literature suggests that children raised in two-parent families have better life outcomes. To test this hypothesis with respect to intellectual disability, I compare Australian children with intellectual disabilities living in dual parent or non-dual parent households. I use a regression analysis to assess the impact of family structure on child and family QOL. Across most domains, there is a negative correlation between living in a non-dual parent household and QOL. I use propensity score matching techniques with pre-treatment conditions to estimate the average treatment effect on the treated for this relationship. However, the effect sizes are small and statistically insignificant, so the results of this analysis are inconclusive.