Pediatric acquired disability challenges children and their parents as they adjust to a new reality of physical impairment. This longitudinal study explored the association between severity of children’s acquired disability and children and parents’ adjustment six weeks after diagnosis (T1) and three-four months later (T2), particularly focusing on parental perception of illness and of parent–child interactions. The participants were 140 parents of children with acquired disability who were hospitalized in pediatric or rehabilitation departments at three major medical centers in Israel. Parents completed questionnaires on background information, parental illness perception, perception of parent–child interactions, and child and parents’ adjustment. Physicians and nurses completed a questionnaire on disability severity indexes. The results revealed that severity of child’s disability correlated positively with parental illness perception and adjustment, but not with parental perception of parent–child interactions. At both time points, parents’ adjustment correlated negatively with illness perceptions and positively with perception of parent–child interactions. Parents’ adjustment was partially associated with children’s adjustment. Children and parents’ adjustment improved over time, as the severity of the child’s disability decreased and parental illness perception eased. Parental perception of parent–child interactions did not change significantly. Parents’ initial adjustment at T1 correlated with their children’s subsequent adjustment, but not vice versa. The study showed that parental adjustment affects children’s adjustment to the acquired disability, and demonstrated the role of parental perception. Early identification of parents at risk might facilitate appropriate professional intervention.

当儿童和他们的父母适应新的身体残障现实时，儿童获得性残疾会给他们及其父母带来挑战。这项纵向研究探讨了儿童获得性残疾的严重程度与儿童与诊断后六周（T1）和三至四个月后（T2）的父母适应之间的关系，特别着重于父母对疾病的认识以及亲子互动。参加者为140名残疾儿童的父母，他们在以色列三个主要医疗中心的儿科或康复部门住院。父母填写了有关背景信息，父母对疾病的看法，对亲子互动的看法以及对孩子和父母的适应的问卷。医生和护士完成了关于残疾严重程度指数的调查问卷。结果表明，儿童残疾的严重程度与父母对疾病的感知和适应程度呈正相关，但与父母对亲子互动的感知没有正相关。在这两个时间点，父母的调整与疾病感呈负相关，与父母与孩子互动的感呈正相关。父母的调整部分与孩子的调整有关。随着时间的推移，儿童和父母的适应能力会有所改善，因为儿童残疾的严重程度有所降低，父母对疾病的感知也有所缓解。父母对亲子互动的看法没有明显改变。父母在T1的初始调整与孩子的后续调整相关，反之则不。研究表明，父母的适应能力会影响孩子对获得性残疾的适应能力，并展示了父母感知的作用。及早发现有风险的父母可能有助于适当的专业干预。