Development and Validation of a Questionnaire on Family Dynamics of Children with Learning Disabilities

The aim of this study was to develop and validate a questionnaire on the family dynamics of children with learning disabilities.

The research method was a sequential exploratory combination with a tool development model that was conducted in two parts: qualitative (descriptive phenomenological) and quantitative (descriptive-correlational). The statistical population of the study was all parents of children with learning disabilities in the academic year 2021-2022 in Mashhad. Using the convenience sampling method, 20 individuals were selected for the qualitative part of the first study, 409 individuals were selected for the quantitative part of the first study, and 351 individuals were selected for the second study. Data were analysed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, construct validity and internal consistency analyses by SPSS16 and AMOS20 softwares.

The results of the qualitative part showed that family dynamics include the three main themes: child issues, school issues, and family issues. The results of the quantitative part showed that the developed questionnaire has a six-factor structure that explains 67.77% of the variance. Confirmatory factor analysis also confirmed this structure as well as the six-factor structure. Internal consistency of the scale with Cronbach's alpha for the subscales of child problems, school problems, developmental-educational functions of the family, environmental challenges, impact on the family, and parents' challenges, as well as the total scale were calculated as 0.94, 0.91, 0.95, 0.89, 0.76, 0.94, and 0.93, respectively. Uisng the split half method, the coefficients for these scales were calculated as 0.92, 0.87, 0.94, 0.80, 0.73, 0.88 and 0.63, respectively. According to the findings of this research, the questionnaire of family dynamics of children with learning disabilities has good validity and reliability and can be used as a tool to measure the family dynamics of these group of population.