Academic Achievement in Adults with a History of Childhood Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Population-Based Prospective Study.
Robert G Voigt, Slavica K Katusic, Robert C Colligan and 3 others
PMID 27902544WHAT IT FOUND
Adults with a history of childhood ADHD scored lower on reading and arithmetic than peers, even after age, sex, maternal education, and learning disability were considered.
Stimulant treatment was not linked to better adult scores.
Key findings
01Adults with childhood ADHD scored lower on all academic achievement tests than non-ADHD referents, even after adjustment for age, gender, maternal education, and learning disability status.
02ADHD cases' average grade-equivalent scores were 3 to 5 grade levels below referents, even though standard scores were in the average range.
03Childhood stimulant treatment and persistent adult ADHD were not significantly associated with adult achievement scores.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Only 232 of 367 eligible adults with childhood ADHD took part, and participants graduated high school more often than non-participants, so the study may underestimate underachievement. Childhood ADHD was identified from records rather than by prospective clinical assessment, so some cases may have been missed. The sample was mostly white and middle class in one Minnesota city, so results may not apply to more diverse populations. Stimulant treatment was not randomly assigned, and many treated groups had limited duration, so the study cannot show whether treatment would have improved adult achievement. Few adults were currently receiving medication, so adult treatment effects could not be assessed.
Declared interests
The authors reported no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that stimulant treatment does not help academic outcomes. This was an observational study, treatment was not assigned, and many participants had limited treatment duration, so it cannot show whether longer or better-timed treatment would matter.