Family Quality of Life Perceived by Mothers of Children with ASD and ADHD.

Existing research has compared Family Quality of Life (FQOL) in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) populations and typically developing populations but has not yet explored differences in FQOL across ASD, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and comorbid ASD and ADHD populations (ASD + ADHD). In the present study, 117 North American mothers of 92 sons and 25 daughters (ages 6-11) with ASD, ADHD, or ASD + ADHD completed an online survey exploring FQOL. An ANOVA failed to show group differences in overall FQOL, however, mothers of children with ASD + ADHD reported significantly lower family Emotional Well-being than mothers of children with ASD only. The results of this study provide insight into FQOL in families of children with ASD and/or ADHD. Greater research is needed in this area to understand how mothers of children with ASD, ADHD, or ASD + ADHD experience FQOL. The COVID-19 pandemic, which ran concurrent with this study, potentially influenced results.

Academic outcomes following adolescent sport-related concussion or fracture injury: A prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives were 1) to compare the effects of adolescent sport-related concussion (SRC) and sport-related extremity fracture (SRF) on academic outcomes including change in school grades and school attendance; and 2) to determine which specific academic accommodations were most helpful during recovery from these injuries. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted to compare changes in school grades, school attendance and academic accommodations among students (grades 8-12) with an SRC or SRF. School grades were extracted from student immediate pre- and post-injury report cards. Students completed attendance log books and an exit interview to determine which accommodations were helpful and how accommodating they perceived their school to be during their recovery. RESULTS: Overall, 124 students (92 with SRC and 32 with SRF) submitted both pre- and post-injury report cards. Students who sustained an SRC or SRF experienced similar decreases in grades post-injury (SRC: -1.0%; 95% CI: -2.1, 0.1 and SRF: -0.9%: 95% CI: -2.1, 0.3). Students with an SRC missed significantly more days of school compared to those with an SRF (median of 4 days [IQR: 1, 7] versus 1 day [IQR: 0, 4], p<0.0001). In total, 60/113 (53.1%) SRC students reported their school to be very accommodating while only 31/77 (40.3%) SRF students reported their school to be very accommodating (p = 0.082). CONCLUSIONS: Students who sustain an SRC miss significantly more days of school but demonstrate similar changes in school grades post-injury compared to those with an SRF. Future studies are needed to identify the pre- and post-injury factors associated with poor academic functioning following concussion and identify measures that can be taken to help optimize academic outcomes in these patients.