Relationships Between the Parent-Child Interaction, Self-Concept, and School Adjustment of Junior High School Students With Disabilities

This study explored the relationships between the parent-child interaction, self-concept, and school adjustment of junior high school students with disabilities. A sample of 1,482 junior high school students with disabilities were selected from the surveys of the Special Needs Education Longitudinal Study (SNELS). On the basis of empirical and theoretical research, a causal model of the parent-child interaction, self-concept, and multiple dimensions of school adjustment of junior high school students with disabilities (teacher-student relationship, peer relationship, activity participation, school climate, academic achievement, and appropriate behavior) was formed and validated using structural equation modeling. The mediation effect of the self-concept variable was evaluated. The findings demonstrated that parent-child interaction had no significant effect on peer relationship but had positive and significant effects on self-concept, teacher-student relationship, activity participation, school climate, academic achievement, and appropriate behavior. Self-concept had positive effects on the teacher-student relationship, peer relationship, activity participation, and school climate but did not have positive effects on academic achievement or appropriate behaviors. Moreover, self-concept played a mediation role between the parent-child interaction and several dimensions of school adjustment. Parent-child interaction indirectly influenced the teacher-student relationship, peer relationship, activity participation, and school climate through self-concept. This study also proposed some relevant suggestions on the basis of the findings.