Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has markedly impacted functioning for children and adolescents including those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We explored home learning difficulties (HLD) during COVID-19 restrictions in Australian children (aged 5–17) with ADHD, aiming to: (1) describe home learning experiences, and (2) examine associations between child anxiety (i.e., concurrent anxiety symptoms and pre-existing anxiety disorder status) and HLD. Baseline data from the longitudinal ADHD COVID-19 Survey were used (n = 122). Parents reported on school factors and HLD; pre-existing anxiety and co-occurring difficulties; anxiety, ADHD, and oppositional symptoms; demographics; and medications. Parents retrospectively reported more children often looked forward to school pre-pandemic, than during the pandemic. Anxiety symptoms, but not pre-existing anxiety disorder status, were associated with HLD after accounting for covariates. ADHD inattention symptoms were also associated with HLD. Results support recommendations to continue pre-pandemic supports to assist with ADHD symptoms during home learning, and strategies/supports for families are discussed.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10578-022-01338-3.
Highlights
The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly disrupted daily life for children and adolescents ( ‘children’) and their families
home learning difficulties (HLD) were reported in a survey of parent perceptions of home learning experiences among three combined samples, comprised of children and adolescents with and without Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) from the United States, and the Australian sample used in this study (N = 606; ages 6–17 years) [19]
The current study examined HLD in children with ADHD, previous research reported that parental experiences of home learning did not significantly differ by ADHD diagnosis, country (United States compared to Australia), or child age [19]
Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly disrupted daily life for children and adolescents ( ‘children’) and their families. Children in Australia, and in many countries around the world, were required by the government to swiftly transition to learning remotely from home ( ‘home learning’) unless they had an approved exemption, such as a parent working in essential healthcare While it is likely all children have faced challenges related to this rapid and unexpected shift [2], this transition may have been challenging for children with ADHD, with the in-person learning difficulties experienced by this population likely to extend to home learning [13], given challenges related to their environment and supports, transitions, and regulation. One study of home learning experiences in adolescents with and without ADHD (N = 238; ages 15–17) indicated that almost a quarter of the sample were reported to have not engaged in any home learning during the survey period. To date, limited research has examined the predictors of HLD in children with ADHD
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