Co-occurring medical and behavioural conditions in children with Down syndrome with or without ADHD symptom presentation.
A J Esbensen, L B Vincent, J N Epstein and 7 others
PMID 34939724WHAT IT FOUND
Children with Down syndrome and ADHD symptoms have significantly more sleep problems, disruptive behaviour, allergies, and seizures than those without.
Parents report widespread executive function difficulties, but teachers see these challenges in all children with Down syndrome, not just those with ADHD.
Key findings
01Children with Down syndrome and ADHD symptoms had significantly higher rates of co-occurring sleep disorders, disruptive behaviour disorders, allergies, and seizures compared to those without ADHD symptoms.
02There were no significant differences in cognitive ability or adaptive behaviour scores between children with Down syndrome with and without ADHD symptoms.
03Parents reported greater executive function difficulties in children with ADHD symptoms, but teachers reported similar high levels of concern across most executive function domains for all children with Down syndrome, regardless of ADHD status.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Medical conditions were based on parent report rather than clinical chart review. The study did not collect information on behavioural treatments or supports, so it is unclear if these influenced outcomes. The sample size was too small to directly compare children with ADHD symptoms who were on medication versus those who were not, although medication status was controlled for in analyses. The study did not record the specific type of allergies, limiting understanding of their relationship with ADHD symptoms.
Declared interests
The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that executive function deficits are unique to children with Down syndrome who have ADHD symptoms. Teacher reports indicated high levels of concern for executive function in all children with Down syndrome, suggesting that these challenges are a core feature of the condition rather than solely a marker of ADHD.