Studied the ways that mothers interpret illness behavior in their children to assess whether maternal psychological adjustment predicts maternal perceptions of children's behavioral limitations and attribution of these behaviors to chronic illness. Functional status ratings and attributions to illness by 365 mothers of 5- to 8-year-old children with chronic illnesses were associated with children's overall adjustment but not with mothers' own psychological distress. Illness attributions also were related to the child's medical visits and hospitalizations. Thus, mother's illness attributions are related to her perceptions of the child's health and more general behavioral adjustment, but not to her own mental health. Results support the validity of the FS II(R) as a measure of functioning related to children's health status that is not influenced by maternal psychological adjustment.