Symposia
Student Issues
Jill Stadterman, M.A.
Fordham University
New York, New York
Melanie Silverman, MA
Graduate Student
Fordham University
Bronx, New York
Emily Hirsh, MA
Graduate Student
Fordham University
Bronx, New York
Amy Roy, PhD
Professor of Psychology
Fordham University
Bronx, New York
Background. In light of quarantine measures required to stop the spread of COVID-19, children were required to transition to attending school at home (remote learning; RL). In addition to this significant change for children, parents were also tasked with helping their school-aged children with RL. This shift was particularly impactful for youth with pre-existing learning difficulties, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This presentation investigates the impact of parental factors on academic difficulties in children with and without ADHD during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods. 291 parents of children, ages 6 to 13 (n=180 males; 62%), completed questionnaires online between April and July of 2020. 148 participants (51%) reported a diagnosis of ADHD. Children were primarily Caucasian (81.1%), non-Hispanic (88%) and largely affluent (53% reported annual income over $100,000). Results. Structural equation modeling revealed that a composite risk variable (parental anxiety, depression, stress, and poor parenting practices, such as corporal punishment) predicted higher child difficulties with RL (β = 0.45, t(88.81) = 3.50, p = .001) and lower parent confidence with RL (β = -0.47, t(133.39) = -5.06, p < .001) across all participants. ADHD status moderated the relationship between risk factors and child difficulties with RL (β = -0.32, t(103.35) = -2.10, p = .038), such that this relationship was stronger for participants without ADHD. Parental involvement (as a general parenting style) was positively related to child difficulties with RL, an effect which was stronger for children with ADHD (β = 0.30, t(156.47) = 2.11, p = .037). Additional qualitative analyses of open-ended questions revealed that difficulty staying on task, lack of motivation, and lack of social interaction were the biggest challenges of RL while more family time emerged as the biggest benefit. Conclusions. Parental factors, including psychopathology, parenting practices, and confidence with RL, impacted academic outcomes for children with and without ADHD during the COVID-19 pandemic. As RL is bound to continue as a method of instruction in the future, insights on how parents can best contribute to at-home learning, particularly for grade school youth, will be discussed.