The Family Quality of Life of Children With Specific Learning Disabilities, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, and Their Co-Occurrence: A Cross-Sectional Study

Research on Family Quality of Life (FQoL) has increasingly focused on the impact of learning disabilities on families. However, there is a lack of comprehensive understanding of how Specific Learning Disabilities (SpLD) or Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity/Disorder (ADHD) affect executive function (EF) deficits in children and FQoL across different household income levels. The current study compared the FQoL ratings from caregivers of three groups of Hong Kong Chinese children with learning disabilities (SpLD n = 107; ADHD n = 43; SpLD & ADHD n = 67, no typically developing control group was included). Results revealed that group classification of learning disabilities was related to two domains of FQoL (family interaction and parenting) through the child’s EF. Children with co-occurring SpLD and ADHD exhibit relatively stable EF deficits across income levels, maintaining higher EF deficits than those with SpLD alone and showing less variation than those with ADHD, who demonstrate a significant decrease in EF deficits at higher household income. Executive function deficits were associated with lower family interaction and parenting ratings across group and income levels. The findings enhance our understanding of FQoL among children with SpLD, ADHD, and their co-occurrence, highlighting the need for additional support for these families.