Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Applying The Vulnerability Stress Adaptation Model Of Marriage To Couples Raising An Autistic Child: A Call For Research On Adaptive Processes, Hillary Katherine Schiltz, Amy V. Van Hecke

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Parents of children on the autism spectrum are particularly susceptible to strain in their romantic relationships due to unique risk factors. While some relationships deteriorate, however, others endure and thrive. The Vulnerability Stress Adaptation (VSA) Model of Marriage (Karney & Bradbury, 1995; Fig. 1) offers a framework to explain, not only poor marital outcomes, but also the process by which degradation of relationships occurs over time. The VSA Model posits that a combination of internal (within-person) vulnerabilities and external stressors influence relationship quality and, in turn, stability, by affecting couples' abilities to collaborate to adapt to stressors and solve problems …