Relations of Change in Condition Severity and School Self-Concept to Change in Achievement-Related Behavior in Children With Asthma or Epilepsy

• Published in: Journal of school psychology 2000-05, Vol.38 (3), p.259-276
• Main Authors: Huberty, Thomas J, Austin, Joan K, Huster, Gertrude A, Dunn, David W
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Asthma; Elementary School Students; Epilepsy; School behavior; Self Concept; Self Concept Measures; Sex Bias; Special Needs Students; Teacher Attitudes
• ISSN: 0022-4405; 1873-3506
• DOI: 10.1016/S0022-4405(00)00031-5

The purpose of this study was to examine, in children with either asthma or epilepsy, the relation of gender, change in condition severity, and change in school self-concept to change in teachers' ratings of academic-related behavior. Children with asthma n = 110 and children with epilepsy n = 117 were assessed at two times, 4 years apart, with the Adaptive Functioning section of the Teacher Report Form (TRF) of the Child Behavior Checklist and the School Self-Concept subscale of the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale for Children. Overall, children with asthma improved more than the children with epilepsy. Change in condition severity was significantly related to Academic Performance for children with epilepsy, with those having high severity at both times doing less well. For the children with asthma, change in condition severity was related to changes in Academic Performance, Happy, Learning, and Total Adaptive Functioning. School Self-Concept was related to changes in Working Hard, Happy, Behaving Appropriately, Learning, and Total Adaptive Functioning only for children with epilepsy. With the exception of children with high-severity epilepsy over time, the majority of the children were near the population mean in achievement-related behavior at follow-up.