Relationship Between Parental Involvement in Extracurricular Activities and Academic Performance for Children With Disabilities

Extracurricular activities (ECAs) play a crucial role in multiple aspects of children’s well-being development, including their social, psychological, and behavioral development, and have been shown to be important for children with disabilities. In turn, parental involvement has been proven to positively influence children’s academic performance. However, the relationship between parental involvement in ECAs and academic performance for children with disabilities remains underinvestigated. Given the distinct characteristics of different disabilities and the importance of parental expectations on children’s academic development, the present study utilized the dataset Parent and Family Involvement in Education to investigate the relationship between parental involvement in ECAs and the academic performance of children with disabilities. This study also examined how parental expectations, and the nature of disabilities moderated this relationship. The findings revealed a significant positive relationship between parental involvement in ECAs and academic performance, particularly when parents set moderate expectations, such as aspirations for a high school or vocational degree. Furthermore, the moderating effects of disabilities varied, with each disability exhibiting distinct benefits associated with specific ECAs. The detailed findings and practical implications are further discussed in this article.