Participation in Everyday Activities of Children with and without Specific Learning Disorder

Abstract

Aim To evaluate the participation in everyday activities of school-aged children with and without Specific Learning Disorder (SLD) in two samples using two different standardized measures of participation. Methods Study 1 comprised 60 children between 8 and 12 years (M = 10.2, SD = 1.2), 30 of them with and 30 without SLD. Participation was assessed by the LIFE-H questionnaire. Study 2 comprised 30 children between 8 and 12 years (M = 10.1, SD = 1.3), 14 of them had SLD, and 16 were typically developing children. Participation was assessed using the Child Participation Questionnaire. Results As expected, the participation of children with SLD was significantly decreased in the learning domain compared with children without SLD as well as most other occupational domains. Parents of children with SLD reported lower child's enjoyment and lower parental satisfaction compared to parents of children without SLD. Conclusions Participation and satisfaction of children and families was lower in children with SLD. We suggest measuring participation and addressing it in evaluations and interventions with this population in order to support their engagement in daily activities beyond school participation and to focus on additional needs of this population.