A recent study was conducted to predict the long-term outcome of boys with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
The researchers concluded that early interventions might be considered for children with a normal, but low, IQ.The research reported on a group of boys diagnosed with ADHD in childhood (when they were, on average, 8 years old) and followed into adulthood (when they were in their early 40s).The goal was to examine whether boys’ characteristics in childhood and adolescence predicted their subsequent school performance, their work, and social adjustment.”Research hows that children with ADHD achieve lower levels of education, have poorer social functioning, and less success at work than peers without ADHD. Being able to identify indicators of future success early in life is critical to help inform preventive and therapeutic practices,” said lead author María Ramos-Olazagasti of Columbia University.
The study conducted at the Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone Medical Center focused on a cohort of 207 white, middle- and lower-class boys between the ages of 6 to 12 years, who were referred to a psychiatric clinic by their school due to behavior problems.The children in the study, who had to have an IQ of at least 85, exhibited symptoms consistent with the DSM-5 definition of ADHD. The boys participated in three follow-up interviews, in adolescence at mean age 18, in early adulthood at age 25, and in mid adulthood at age 41.
At each period, the study evaluated the participants’ social and occupational functioning, their overall adjustment, and their educational attainment.
