2016 Gatlinburg Conference Poster
PS-80
Title: The Relationship between School Satisfaction and Parent and Child Characteristics
Authors: Busisiwe L. Ncube, Adrienne Perry, Jonathan A. Weiss
Introduction: Research suggests that, for school-age youth, several school-related factors, such as teacher support and
academic achievement, are significantly related to a child's quality of life (Suldo et al., 2006). Children with severe developmental
disabilities (DD) typically have limited skills on conceptual, social, and practical domains of living (APA, 2013). For children in this
group, the quality of education services may impact the child's life in even more ways than it does for typically developing youth.
Due to the dependence on others and physical restrictions that often accompany severe DD, individuals in this population
experience an increased need for support and special services (e.g., Patnaik et al., 2011), including a need for increased
personnel support within the school (McNally et al., 2001). The quality of school services can be a source of stress for parents of
children with DD and impact their lives in many ways as well (Phetrasuwan & Miles, 2009). The objective of the present study
was to examine the relationship between school satisfaction and the characteristics of children with severe DD and their parents.
Methods: This study is part of the larger GO4KIDDS project looking at the experiences of children with severe DD (defined as
those functioning in the moderate, severe, or profound range of Intellectual Disability). Parents of 454 children (age M = 11.18,
70% male) completed surveys on the general health, well-being and social inclusion of both the children and the parents. School
satisfaction was measured using parent responses to the following item, rated on a 5-point Likert scale: "overall, how satisfied
are you with the quality of your child's education?" For the purposes of analysis, scores on this item were collapsed into two
categories: unsatisfied/mixed (previously ranging from "very unsatisfied" to "mixed") and satisfied (previously "satisfied" and
"very satisfied"). Child variables included parent ratings of their child's happiness, quality of friendships, and whether or not the
child was achieving their potential, all rated on 5-point Likert scales. Other child variables included the child's age and whether or
not the child had a diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Parent variables included ratings of parent mental health
measured on the Kessler 6 scale (a brief screening measure for mental health problems), parent positive outlook, parent
socialization, and perception of burden. An estimate of family income, based on the median income of the neighbourhood in
which the family resides, was also analysed in relation to school satisfaction.
Results: School satisfaction was found to be significantly related to parent ratings of the degree to which they believed their
child was achieving his or her potential, t(233) = -6.26, p < .001, and marginally related to quality of friendships, t(225) = -1.87, p
= .06, but not to the child's age, t(234) = -.26, p = .79, presence of an ASD diagnosis X(1) = 1.288, p = .35, or child's perceived
happiness, t(233) = -.16, p = .87,. In addition, school satisfaction was significantly related to several parent variables including
parent mental health problems, t(229) = 2.93, p = .004, parent positive outlook, t(233) = -3.51, p = .001, parent socialization,
t(233) = -2.85, p = .005, and perception of burden, t(232) = .18, p = .001. School satisfaction was not significantly related to
estimates of family income, t(213) = -.31, p = .75.
Discussion: Results of this study have implications for parent support services and school interventions. Increasing support for
parents in regards to the advocacy of their children's education has the capacity to improve both parent and child outcomes.