In comparison with the long and continuous history of research in the general area of stress and coping, theoretical and clinical interest in family stresses, hardships, and adaptation is a recent phenomenon. Today family behavior in response to predicable and unpredictable life events has gained respect as an important area of theory building, research, and intervention. To understand the phenomena of family behavior, comprehensive theoretical frame-work is needed which gives a background to us. For the purpose that, this study was designed to develop and generalize a structural model for family stress and adaptation in families with handicapped children. A hypothetical model was constructed on the basis of the family stress theory developed by McCubbin etc. The model included 6 theoretical concepts and 12 paths. For the purpose of model testing, empirical data were collected from June to December, 1993. The subjects of the study constituted 82 mothers of children in three special schools in Taegu. An SPSS PC+ and PC-LISREL 7.13 computer programs were used for descriptive and covariance structure analysis. 1) The results of covariance structure analysis indicated : The hypothetical model showed itself a good fit to the empirical data 64(df=5, P=0.343), Goodness of Fit Index=0.994, Adjusted Goodness of Fit Index=0.969, Root Mean Square Residual=0.035]. 2) The results of Hypothesis testing indicated : (1) Social Support(γ=.336, T=2.052) and Family Functioning(γ12=.697, T=4.163) had direct effects on Situational Definition. (2) Social Support(γ23=-.229, T=4.453) and Situational Defiition(β2^1=-.263, T=-2.070) had direct effects on the effect of the handicapped child on the family. (3) Family functioning(γ32=.411, T=3.591) had direct effects on Family Adaptation. (4) The Family Stress(β32=-.301, T=-2.59) had direct effects on Family Adaptation. The model was supported by the empirical data. Thus it was suggested that the model could be adequately applied to family nursing care with families with handicapped.