Social Skills Deficits in a Virtual Environment Among Spanish Children With ADHD

How cognitive and behavioural body-functions of children with ADHD are linked to their participation and environmental supports?

BACKGROUND

Children with chronic conditions face participation restrictions and exclusions.

AIMS

To investigate how cognitive and behavioural body-functions are associated with 1) participation patterns and 2) environmental factors among children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

METHODS AND PROCEDURES

The study included 83 children with ADHD. Cognitive and behavioural body-functions were assessed with Conners' Parent Rating Scale-Revised Long-Version. The participation patterns of children were assessed with Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth (PEM-CY). Multiple regression analyses were used to examine the relationships between cognitive and behavioural body-functions and (1) participation patterns at home, school and community settings, and (2) environmental supports and barriers.

OUTCOME AND RESULTS

In home setting, inattention and ADHD index which determine ADHD children from typically developing peers, were the strongest factors, explaining 24.9 % of variance in activities that mothers wanted to change. In school setting, presence/level of oppositional behaviours had the strongest effect on environmental barriers, with variation of 29.8 %. In community setting, the strongest factor explaining environmental helpfulness was anxious/shy behaviours (16.1 %).

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

When seeking to improve participation of children with ADHD both the cognitive and behavioural demands of chosen activities should be modified while creating environments that supports these challenges.

El compromiso con la tarea en el alumnado Con TDAH: análisis del tiempo de escritura digital

La evolución de las nuevas tecnologías y la reciente situación de la Pandemia por COVID-19, han modificado las condiciones de la docencia educativa pasando mayoritariamente a una docencia digital. La utilización del ordenador se ha convertido en una herramienta necesaria para el aprendizaje. El alumnado con Trastorno por Déficit de Atención e Hiperactividad (TDAH) presenta especiales dificultades en la escritura y en la composición escrita. La presente investigación tiene como objetivo analizar la velocidad de la escritura (mecanografiado) en el alumnado con TDAH utilizando el ordenador en diferentes tareas. La muestra está formada por 48 niños y niñas entre 8-12 años, 24 forman el grupo con TDAH y 24 el grupo con desarrollo típico. Los tiempos de escritura se valoran mediante una tarea de dictado de frases a mecanografiar y con una tarea de chat de interacción social en tres momentos, al inicio, durante y al finalizar el chat social. Los resultados muestran que el alumnado con TDAH presenta significativamente mayor lentitud en la tarea de dictado de frases que el grupo de desarrollo típico. Sin embargo, el perfil de tiempo de escritura en la tarea de chat social es similar a sus compañeros/as. Los hallazgos evidencian que el tiempo de escritura (mecanografiado) empleado por el alumnado, está relacionado con el tipo de tarea, independientemente de la complejidad de esta. Se concluye que la motivación hacia la tarea es un aspecto crucial en el TDAH, que afecta a la variabilidad de la ejecución en las tareas digitales.

Participation Profile of Children and Youth, Aged 6-14, with and without ADHD, and the Impact of Environmental Factors

BACKGROUND

Children and youth with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may experience difficulties in participation, but few studies examine their participation and the environmental factors affecting participation. This study explored the participation and the environmental factors of children and youth, with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), in the following three settings: home, school, and community.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Parents of 65 participants aged 6-14 (M = 9.91, SD = 1.87) with and without ADHD completed the Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth (PEM-CY) questionnaire, which evaluates participation and environmental factors, along with demographic and screening questionnaires.

RESULTS

The ADHD group (n = 31) scored significantly lower than the non-ADHD group (n = 34) in "frequency" at home, "involvement", and overall environmental support in all settings, with parents expressing a greater desire to change their child's home and community participation. For the ADHD group, a relationship was found between environmental support and involvement in all three settings.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings demonstrated differences in the participation of children and youth with ADHD across different settings, compared to those without ADHD, and confirmed the effect of environmental factors on participation, especially involvement. It is essential to consider participation measures and environmental factors when designing interventions for children and youth with ADHD.