Utilisation of extracurricular support offers for children with developmental learning disorders: the role of parental predisposing characteristics, enabling resources and perceived need

Although the effectiveness of extracurricular support offers for pupils with developmental learning disorders (DLD) is well documented, little is known about the utilisation of these services. Following the Behavioural Model of Health Care Utilisation, and based on data of a self-developed online survey (N = 225 parents of third and fourth graders), parental predisposing characteristics, enabling resources and perceived need were examined as factors influencing the utilisation of extracurricular support offers for children with DLD. Additionally, parents who stated that they did not use extracurricular support services despite their child having a DLD were asked about their subjective reasons. Structural equation models support the assumption that children of parents with higher self-regulatory abilities, higher expectations of treatment success, and those who perceive an increased need are more likely to attend extracurricular support offers. Educational background and enabling resources (income, working hours) do not influence utilisation. The main reported reasons against utilisation were organisational (financing, time) and a lack of availability of offers, which are discussed in view of educational policy issues.