Parent-reported strengths in children with ADHD, autism, and AuDHD
Abstract
Background Traditionally, research on neurodevelopmental conditions has focused on challenges, while strengths received less attention, despite relevance to clinical practice and well-being. To date, few studies have investigated strengths in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Moreover, no studies directly compared strengths of children with ADHD, autistic children, and children with co-occurring ADHD and autism (AuDHD), leaving open questions about specificity of strengths for these groups. Method For the current study, we used data from a large Dutch National registry study, In Kaart. We qualitatively investigated parent-reported data from Dutch children (n = 143) aged 5-16 years with (suspected) ADHD, autism or AuDHD. Parents reported on strengths related to the diagnoses of their child. We used content analysis to identify strengths in children with ADHD, in autistic children and in children with AuDHD. Results Across all diagnostic groups, parents reported a wide range of strengths. Children with ADHD and autistic children showed both overlapping and unique strengths, whereas the strengths reported for AuDHD children reflected a combination of both groups. Strengths fell within the categories of ‘Courage’, ‘Higher order cognitive skills’, ‘Humanity’, ‘Justice’, ‘Motor skills’, ‘Temperance’, ‘Transcendence’, ‘Wisdom’ and ‘Other skill’. For children with ADHD, creativity and zest were most prominent, whereas attention to detail and honesty were most prominent in autistic children. Conclusion The variety and frequency of reported strengths suggest that positive aspects are not uncommon for children with ADHD and/or autism and may offer opportunities for a more balanced perspective on these conditions. Our results can feed strength-based approaches for use in clinical practice, assessment, and support, helping children with ADHD and/or autism flourish.
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- Socioeconomic gradients in parent-reported SDQ scores among children aged 2, 4 and 6 years
- Marital satisfaction and parent-reported emotional competence in Chinese preschoolers: serial indirect associations through mindful parenting and parental involvement
- Family socioeconomic status and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms in preschool children: a cross-sectional study of 21,366 parent–child dyads in Yan’an, western China
BibTeX
@misc{schippers2026parentreported,
title = {{Parent-reported strengths in children with ADHD, autism, and AuDHD}},
author = {Lessa Madelief Schippers and Amy De Roubaix and Sander Begeer and Corina Greven and Martine Hoogman},
howpublished = {PsyArXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.31234/osf.io/8jwfb_v1},
url = {https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/8jwfb_v1/},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Parent-reported strengths in children with ADHD, autism, and AuDHD
AU - Lessa Madelief Schippers
AU - Amy De Roubaix
AU - Sander Begeer
AU - Corina Greven
AU - Martine Hoogman
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/13
PB - PsyArXiv
DO - 10.31234/osf.io/8jwfb_v1
UR - https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/8jwfb_v1/
AB - Background Traditionally, research on neurodevelopmental conditions has focused on challenges, while strengths received less attention, despite relevance to clinical practice and well-being. To date, few studies have investigated strengths in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Moreover, no studies directly compared strengths of children with ADHD, autistic children, and children with co-occurring ADHD and autism (AuDHD), leaving open questions about specificity of strengths for these groups. Method For the current study, we used data from a large Dutch National registry study, In Kaart. We qualitatively investigated parent-reported data from Dutch children (n = 143) aged 5-16 years with (suspected) ADHD, autism or AuDHD. Parents reported on strengths related to the diagnoses of their child. We used content analysis to identify strengths in children with ADHD, in autistic children and in children with AuDHD. Results Across all diagnostic groups, parents reported a wide range of strengths. Children with ADHD and autistic children showed both overlapping and unique strengths, whereas the strengths reported for AuDHD children reflected a combination of both groups. Strengths fell within the categories of ‘Courage’, ‘Higher order cognitive skills’, ‘Humanity’, ‘Justice’, ‘Motor skills’, ‘Temperance’, ‘Transcendence’, ‘Wisdom’ and ‘Other skill’. For children with ADHD, creativity and zest were most prominent, whereas attention to detail and honesty were most prominent in autistic children. Conclusion The variety and frequency of reported strengths suggest that positive aspects are not uncommon for children with ADHD and/or autism and may offer opportunities for a more balanced perspective on these conditions. Our results can feed strength-based approaches for use in clinical practice, assessment, and support, helping children with ADHD and/or autism flourish.
ER -