Health-Related Quality of Life in Children with Developmental Disorders

Abstract

Purpose of Review (1) To give an overview of what is currently known about health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in three common and co-occurring developmental disorders: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and developmental coordination disorder (DCD), and (2) to provide directions for future research. Recent Findings HRQoL is compromised in all three developmental disorders, affecting various domains of HRQoL. However, some domains are more affected than others depending on the nature of the core deficits of the disorder. Overall, parents’ rate HRQoL of their children lower than the children themselves. Children with ASD and ADHD with co-occurring disorders have lower HRQoL compared to those with singular disorders. Future studies in DCD are needed to investigate the effect of co-occurring disorder in this population. Summary Children with developmental disorders have lower HRQoL than typically developing children. Future research should focus on the effects of co-occurring disorders on HRQoL and on protective factors that may increase HRQoL. HRQoL should be a part of clinical assessment, as it reveals the areas in life children are struggling with that could be targeted during intervention.

Pediatric care for children with developmental coordination disorder, can we do better?

“…Due to participation avoiding behavior, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is an important aspect of overall assessment, including screening of mental health, emotional and behavioral problems [ 75 , 76 ]. Improvement of HRQoL should be included as one of the treatment outcomes assessed in addition to the core aspects of a developmental disorder [ 77 ]. Eventually with coaching or treatment we want to lessen the impact of the disorder on well-being and daily functioning.…”

“…If motor performance is lower, children need more and not less physical activity experience. By focusing on their strengths (e.g., activities they can do) instead of their weaker points (e.g., their motor problems), children will manage to preserve a more positive self-image [ 77 ]. Goals should be realistic, and divided into smaller steps but still aiming for the child to reach his/her full potential.…”

“…Raz-Silbiger and colleagues (2015) indeed showed that children with DCD who participated more in vigorous physical activities had higher parent-rated HRQoL in the social domain than children who participated less in vigorous activities [ 109 ]. So, we may conclude that treatment of DCD may not just be a matter of practicing motor skills but also of creating an environment in which children can engage in activities and learn to detect and correct their motor performance [ 77 ]. Furthermore, it allows children to adopt an active life style, which is known to correspond with positive health outcomes and with smaller increases in weight and adiposity during childhood and adolescence.…”

Efecto de un programa de refuerzo motriz en alumnado con dificultades motrices y/o sociales

“…Este aspecto podría estar motivado en parte por la poca práctica, consecuencia del sentimiento de incompetencia de los escolares (Schoemaker & Smits-Engelsman, 2015), algo común entre aquellos que sufren trastorno de la coordinación (Delgado-Lobete et al, 2019). Es decir, aquellos escolares que padecen trastorno de coordinación, o dificultades de movimiento, participan menos en juegos, actividades físicas y prácticas deportivas (Cairney et al, 2010), tienen baja participación en actividades escolares (Izadi-Najafabadian et al, 2019), así como en actividades de la vida diaria (Schoemaker & Houwen, 2021).…”

Self-management training vs. neurofeedback interventions for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: Results of a randomized controlled treatment study

“…Ideally, a favorable treatment should demonstrate that it can not only achieve a reduction in ADHD core symptoms over time, but also improves overall functioning ( 36 ), and interrupts the development of negative cognitive cascades, mapped, for example, in self-concept. Accordingly, in addition to symptom-based measures, functional impairment, QoL, and self-concept should also be considered in ADHD when evaluating treatments [e.g., see ( 13 , 37 )].…”