This factsheet explores the relationship between father involvement and child disability. It reviews findings from research studies that indicate having a child with a disability may have important implications for fathers' well-being and involvement with their children. Research is cited that indicates having a child with a disability has adverse effects on fathers' well-being, while other studies are cited that have failed to support the idea that fathers of children with disabilities have lower levels of well-being than do fathers of typical children, and suggest that fathers may derive potential benefits from having a child with disabilities. Additional studies that show fathers' responses and adaptation to having a child with a disability may depend on key factors are also discussed. Data is shared from Child Trends analyses of data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study- Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) 9-month, 24-month, and 48-month surveys on the father involvement with children with different disabilities, and father involvement by age, with children of different genders, and by race. The ECLS-B includes 10,688 children and their caregivers, and it follows these children from infancy until the time that they enter first grade. 16 figures, 16 tables, and 70 references.
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