Children at risk for learning disorders: multiple perspectives

This study examined the contribution of a multidimensional model of risk factors in explaining adaptive functioning among 5- to 6.5-year-old kindergartners with mild developmental delays who were considered at risk for developing learning disorders. Risk factors included (a) child characteristics, (b) maternal and familial ecological variables, and (c) the child's attachment style as perceived by the mother. The sample included 145 Israeli mother-child dyads: 70 mothers and their children at risk for developing learning disorders (51 boys, 19 girls) and 75 mothers and their typically developing children (46 boys, 29 girls) from the same general education kindergartens. Data were collected from children's self-reports, mothers' narratives, and teachers' ratings. Path analysis examined the multidimensional risk model for the two groups. The study indicated a high fit between the theoretical model and the empirical findings and showed a different pattern of relations between the model's components for the two populations studied.