TY - JOUR
T1 - Trajectories of academic achievement for students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
AU - Lawrence, David
AU - Houghton, Stephen
AU - Dawson, Vaille
AU - Sawyer, Michael
AU - Carroll, Annemaree
N1 - Funding Information:
Young Minds Matter: the second Australian Child and Adolescent Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing was funded by the Australian Government Department of Health, with additional funding to support the linkage to NAPLAN test results provided by the Australian Government Department of Education and Training.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 The British Psychological Society
PY - 2021/6
Y1 - 2021/6
N2 - Background: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with negative social and occupational outcomes across the life course. However, there has been limited population-based research that quantifies the impact of ADHD on academic achievement and academic trajectories. Aims: To compare academic performance and academic trajectories of students with ADHD with students without a mental disorder. Sample: Data were drawn from Young Minds Matter, a national population-based sample of 6,310 Australian children and adolescents aged 4–17 years. Using linked achievement test data, the academic performance and trajectories of 327 students with ADHD were compared with those of 3,916 students without a mental disorder. Methods: Survey data were combined with scores on national standardized tests for literacy and numeracy over an 8-year period. Results: In Year 3, students with ADHD were on average 1 year behind students with no mental disorder in reading and numeracy, and 9 months behind in writing. In Year 9, the gaps were much larger with students with ADHD on average 2.5 years behind in reading, 3 years behind in numeracy, and 4.5 years behind in writing. Conclusions: Students with ADHD have substantially lower achievement in reading, writing, and numeracy. Writing was the most adversely affected domain. For example, in Year 9 students with ADHD were on average writing at a Year 5 level. Children and adolescents with ADHD need substantial support to manage inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. Skilled remediation in literacy and numeracy is required throughout all school years.
AB - Background: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with negative social and occupational outcomes across the life course. However, there has been limited population-based research that quantifies the impact of ADHD on academic achievement and academic trajectories. Aims: To compare academic performance and academic trajectories of students with ADHD with students without a mental disorder. Sample: Data were drawn from Young Minds Matter, a national population-based sample of 6,310 Australian children and adolescents aged 4–17 years. Using linked achievement test data, the academic performance and trajectories of 327 students with ADHD were compared with those of 3,916 students without a mental disorder. Methods: Survey data were combined with scores on national standardized tests for literacy and numeracy over an 8-year period. Results: In Year 3, students with ADHD were on average 1 year behind students with no mental disorder in reading and numeracy, and 9 months behind in writing. In Year 9, the gaps were much larger with students with ADHD on average 2.5 years behind in reading, 3 years behind in numeracy, and 4.5 years behind in writing. Conclusions: Students with ADHD have substantially lower achievement in reading, writing, and numeracy. Writing was the most adversely affected domain. For example, in Year 9 students with ADHD were on average writing at a Year 5 level. Children and adolescents with ADHD need substantial support to manage inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. Skilled remediation in literacy and numeracy is required throughout all school years.
KW - academic achievement
KW - attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85096946322&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/bjep.12392
DO - 10.1111/bjep.12392
M3 - Article
C2 - 33259064
AN - SCOPUS:85096946322
SN - 0007-0998
VL - 91
SP - 755
EP - 774
JO - British Journal of Educational Psychology
JF - British Journal of Educational Psychology
IS - 2
ER -