Conceptual Model for Explaining Academic Achievements and Social Functioning of Students with and without Learning Disorders

The purpose of the study was to develop a comprehensive model that examines whether motor abilities and socioemotional adjustment contribute to the academic achievement and social functioning of students. Participants were 733 children, aged 6.04–13.72 years. Among them, 642 were typically achieving children, and 91 were children with learning disorders (LD). Measurements were: Children’s Sense of Coherence Scale, Children’s feelings of loneliness and social dissatisfaction, The Social Skills Rating System, and The Test of Motor Impairment–Henderson Revision. Results showed that LD explains all dependent variables in the model. According to this model, there is a valid reason for the controversy that still exists between policy makers who focus on academic achievement and early childhood educators who emphasize social skills and behavior.