while most of the stress and burden research focuses on parent mental health the economic burden of raising a child with dd has also been examined this economic burden has a particular impact on mother comparative studies of parent with and without disabilities have noted that mother of children with disabilities work fewer hours and have lower earnings than mother pf typically developing children in addition mother report spending more time caring for the child with the disability than father and that the care giving demands association with the child disability lead to incresed work absenteenism