Health-related quality of life of children with developmental disabilities in Singapore and associated factors: A broad-based examination.
Executive-function struggles and parent stress drag down quality of life for elementary students with developmental disabilities more than the diagnosis itself.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Kan et al. (2025) asked parents and teachers about the daily-life quality of elementary students in Singapore special-ed schools.
They used standard HRQoL surveys and looked at child skills, parent mood, and family income to see what hurt quality of life most.
What they found
Kids with developmental disabilities scored lower on health-related quality of life than typical peers.
The biggest hits came from poor executive function and parent stress, not the child’s diagnosis label.
How this fits with other research
Whiteside et al. (2022) saw the same link: caregiver-rated executive-function gaps drive challenging behavior in kids with developmental delay.
Zaguri-Vittenberg et al. (2025) extend the story to teens, showing ADHD plus motor-coordination issues widen HRQoL gaps even further.
Liang et al. (2021) flip the lens to moms: maternal depression, not child ADHD severity, predicts parent quality of life—echoing Delia’s point that parent well-being matters as much as child traits.
Why it matters
You can’t fix HRQoL by targeting the diagnosis alone. Screen executive-function skills with the BRIEF-2 and parent stress with brief mood checks. Build parent support into the behavior plan—when caregivers feel better, kids’ daily-life scores rise.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The study investigates the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of elementary-aged children with developmental disabilities in Singapore, focusing on the influences of individual and family factors. Data from 113 students from special education schools was examined, with data collected from parents, teachers, and direct assessments of the children. The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) was used to measure HRQoL across four domains: physical, emotional, social, and school functioning. Results showed that children with developmental disabilities generally experience lower HRQoL compared to typically developing peers, with the social functioning domain presenting the greatest challenges. Executive functioning difficulties emerged as the most significant predictor of overall HRQoL, affecting all domains, particularly social and school functioning. Parental psychological well-being was also significantly associated with children's emotional functioning, highlighting the broader influence of family factors on children's well-being. This study contributes to the literature by examining a broad-based sample in a multicultural Asian context. Results underscores the importance of addressing both child-specific challenges, such as executive functioning, and family-centered interventions to improve parental mental wellbeing. In the pursuit of positive quality of life for children with developmental disabilities across multiple domains, this study's findings highlight the need for a multi-component approach. Limitations and future directions, including the use of proxy reports and the need for culturally relevant interventions, are discussed.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2025 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2025.104997