The Impact of Parental Conflict on the Educational Outcomes of Children with Mental Retardation: A Correlational Study

Abstract

In this research, the educational results of mentally retarded children are analyzed considering parental disagreements. One hundred children with slight to moderate intellectual disabilities (aged 8 to 14) and their parents were included in the study. The Educational Performance Assessment Scale (EPAS) and the Parental Conflict Scale (PCS) were the tools for data collection. A strong negative correlation between parental disagreements and the children's academic performance was found (r = -0.63, p < 0.01). Poor adaptive behavior, less involvement in the classroom, and lower academic scores were some of the crisis-related problems. The findings emphasize the necessity of psychosocial support and family unity in the process of bringing about better educational gains for the group of children that have intellectual disabilities.

Keywords: correlation, family environment, children with mental retardation, educational outcomes, and parental conflict.