Relationships Between Health Problems and School Adjustment of Young Children

Abstract

One hundred and seventy-nine first to fourth graders who had experienced one or more of six health problems were judged by classroom teachers to have more serious school adjustment problems and fewer school competencies than a demographically matched peer group of 710 youngsters who had not experienced such problems. Within the health-problem sample, children with multiple problems were rated as more maladjusted and less competent than those who had experienced only one problem. There were several adjustment differences among subgroups of youngsters who experienced specific types of health problems.