Does the Family Situation Impact Academic Achievement Differently in Students with versus without Neurodevelopmental Disorders?
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| Title: | Does the Family Situation Impact Academic Achievement Differently in Students with versus without Neurodevelopmental Disorders? |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Jakob Åsberg Johnels (ORCID |
| Source: | British Journal of Educational Psychology. 2026 96(2):765-779. |
| Availability: | Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 15 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Elementary Education |
| Descriptors: | Family Environment, Family Influence, Academic Achievement, Students with Disabilities, Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Parent Background, Parent Child Relationship, Elementary School Students, Twins, Foreign Countries |
| Geographic Terms: | Sweden |
| DOI: | 10.1111/bjep.70050 |
| ISSN: | 0007-0998 2044-8279 |
| Abstract: | Background: Youth with neurodevelopmental disorders are at risk for school failure, but little is known about the contextual factors influencing academic achievement. Aims: Drawing on a bioecological system framework, we examined how ADHD and autism, parental educational attainment and aspects of the parent-child relationship influence educational achievement at the end of primary school, and to what extent these factors have independent as opposed to interactive effects on educational achievement. Sample: A total of 12,477 twins born 1994-2005 from Sweden. Methods: ADHD and autism were assessed at age nine with a structured telephone interview with parents. Among participants, n = 996 and n = 249 met screening criteria for ADHD and autism, respectively. At age 15, data on parent-child relationships and parental educational attainment were gathered. Children's school grades and eligibility for upper secondary school were obtained from a register, and used as main outcome measures. Multiple regression models with interaction terms were used to explore if the effects of family-related factors differed in students with or without ADHD or autism. Results: ADHD or autism was associated with low academic achievement, as were all the family-related variables in multiple regression models (all p < 0.005). However, there was no statistical evidence (all p > 0.005) that the influence of family-related variables differed (i.e., were either less or more important in the prediction of educational achievement) in students with or without ADHD or autism. Conclusions: Results were in keeping with a bioecological model of non-interacting multiple risks for educational underachievement in students with ADHD and/or autism. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1505298 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Background: Youth with neurodevelopmental disorders are at risk for school failure, but little is known about the contextual factors influencing academic achievement. Aims: Drawing on a bioecological system framework, we examined how ADHD and autism, parental educational attainment and aspects of the parent-child relationship influence educational achievement at the end of primary school, and to what extent these factors have independent as opposed to interactive effects on educational achievement. Sample: A total of 12,477 twins born 1994-2005 from Sweden. Methods: ADHD and autism were assessed at age nine with a structured telephone interview with parents. Among participants, n = 996 and n = 249 met screening criteria for ADHD and autism, respectively. At age 15, data on parent-child relationships and parental educational attainment were gathered. Children's school grades and eligibility for upper secondary school were obtained from a register, and used as main outcome measures. Multiple regression models with interaction terms were used to explore if the effects of family-related factors differed in students with or without ADHD or autism. Results: ADHD or autism was associated with low academic achievement, as were all the family-related variables in multiple regression models (all p < 0.005). However, there was no statistical evidence (all p > 0.005) that the influence of family-related variables differed (i.e., were either less or more important in the prediction of educational achievement) in students with or without ADHD or autism. Conclusions: Results were in keeping with a bioecological model of non-interacting multiple risks for educational underachievement in students with ADHD and/or autism. |
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| ISSN: | 0007-0998 2044-8279 |
| DOI: | 10.1111/bjep.70050 |
