Abstract
Developmental delays (DD) are missed early childhood developmental milestones in cognitive, motoric or linguistic domains. DD associated with behaviour problems may compound to impact parenting. This study investigated whether DD would moderate the relation between behaviour problems and parenting in families of toddlers. Data were drawn from an Early Head Start (n = 564) sample. The Ages and Stages Questionnaire‐Third Edition measured developmental status at age 2 (typically developing, in a monitoring zone, or having a DD), behaviour problems were assessed at age 2, and supportive and negative parenting at age 3. Developmental delay moderated the relationship between behaviour problems and supportive parenting such that greater behaviour problems were unrelated to parental supportiveness for children with DD, while greater behaviour problems led to less parental supportiveness for typically developing children. These findings suggest distinct developmental processes, with parental supportiveness acting as potentially protective for children with DD.