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.