Family Functioning Style as a Predictor of the Quality of Cognitive Functioning of Primary School Students With ADHD.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to specify whether family communication and satisfaction are predictors of a child's executive functions and whether attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) severity lies in the pathway between these variables.

METHOD: Two hundred Polish children with ADHD, aged 10 to 13, were tested using Conners 3, the PU1 Battery of Cognitive Tests and Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, Fifth Edition (SB5). Parents filled out the FACES IV-SOR questionnaire. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypotheses.

RESULTS

The quality of family communication and satisfaction did not predict executive functioning in children with ADHD, and ADHD severity did not play a mediating role neither in boys or in girls. Intelligent quotient was the only predictor of executive functioning in the group of boys.

CONCLUSION

These results contrast with those of previous studies that have shown the existence of similar associations in other cultural contexts.