Literature to date suggests that child coping is often a direct result of coping assistance provided by parents. Findings have not considered aspects of the stressor that may impact what the parent suggests; specifically, the child’s role, and the controllability of the stressor particularly for children with intellectual disabilities. The current study examines how the child’s disability status and parental perceptions of the child’s control over a peer problem influence the type of coping suggestions parents offer and how specific types of coping assistance affect the outcome of the coping situation. Results indicated that mothers of children with mental retardation provided more passive coping assistance and perceived their children as having less control over peer problems. Coping assistance was not directly linked to problem outcomes which suggests future studies should incorporate measures of factors such as direct parent and teacher assistance and child’s willingness or ability to implement coping suggestions.