Literacy and Numeracy Underachievement in Boys and Girls With ADHD

Exploring correlations between Conners' Continuous Performance Test and subjective measures of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms in a paediatric clinical sample

INTRODUCTION

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a childhood-onset neurodevelopmental condition characterised by inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity. The ADHD symptoms are often evaluated and quantified using various assessment tools, such as the Conners' Continuous Performance Test II (CCPT-II), ADHD Rating Scale (ADHD-RS), Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL), Clinical Global Assessment Scale (CGAS) and Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGIS). This study sought to compare CCPT-II with parent- and clinician-rated rating scales (ADHD-RS, CBCL, CGAS and CGIS) in measuring the core ADHD symptoms within the paediatric ADHD population.

METHODS

The data, gathered from a large-scale randomised controlled trial involving 172 children aged 6-12 years with ADHD, was pooled, and a Pearson correlation analysis was conducted.

RESULTS

No significant correlations were observed between CCPT-II and ADHD-RS, as well as the various subscales of CBCL, CGAS and CGIS.

CONCLUSION

While CCPT-II may offer insights into ADHD symptomatology, its relationship with parent- and clinician-rated rating scales such as ADHD-RS, CBCL, CGAS and CGIS appears limited. Further research is warranted to elucidate the nuances of these assessment tools and their roles in evaluating ADHD.

Examining the Educational Gap for Children with ADHD and Subthreshold ADHD

OBJECTIVE

The present study examined the impact of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) on core educational outcomes in two large community cohorts of Australian school children.

METHOD

Academic (reading and numeracy) and non-academic (school engagement, attendance, peer victimization, and parental expectations) outcomes were compared between children with ADHD, subthreshold ADHD, and controls when children were in grade 5 (M age = 10.5). Data were drawn from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children birth cohort (LSAC; N = 3,540) and the Children's Attention Project (CAP; N = 356).

RESULTS

Both subthreshold ADHD and ADHD groups had poorer outcomes on all measures, with medium effects sizes. Differences were not evident between subthreshold ADHD and ADHD groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Educational outcomes examined in this study highlight the educational risk for upperprimary school children with ADHD or subthreshold ADHD, in comparison to their peers. Monitoring these outcomes is necessary to inform policy, practice, and intervention.