Health-Related Quality of Life in Children with Developmental Disorders

AbstractPurpose 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 FindingsHRQoL 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.SummaryChildren 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.
Source: Current Developmental Disorders Reports - Category: Child Development Source Type: research