Early Intervention for Young Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Prediction of Academic and Behavioral Outcomes

The preparation of this article was supported by the Naitonal Institute of Mental Health, Grant R01-MH61563. However, the the opinions and positions are those of the authors and no endorsement by NIMH should be inferred.

Abstract.

We examined the degree to which child, family, and treatment variables predicted treatment outcomes for reading and math achievement and oppositional behavior in a sample of 135 young children (105 boys and 30 girls). All of the participants met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision criteria for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and received early intervention over a period of 24 months. Results of second-order latent growth model analyses indicated that (a) growth and posttreatment performance in reading and math were predicted by age, cognitive ability, gender, and lower perceived family support at pretreatment; (b) growth and posttreatment reading performance were predicted by child ethnicity; (c) posttreatment oppositional behavior was predicted by higher child hyperactivity–impulsivity symptoms at pretreatment, more hours of consultant contact, and receipt of psychotropic medication at pretreatment; and (d) parent attendance at education sessions was inversely related to improvement in oppositional behavior over time. Early intervention during the preschool years may yield significant improvement in reading and math skills for those children at greater risk of academic difficulties. Alternatively, children with milder symptoms and greater cognitive abilities may show the greatest improvement in oppositional behaviors.

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Notes on contributors

George J. DuPaul

George J. DuPaul, PhD, is Professor of School Psychology in the Department of Education and Human Services at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA. His research interests include school-based assessment and intervention for students with ADHD and related disorders, early intervention for young children at risk for ADHD, and the assessment and treatment of ADHD in college students.

Lee Kern

Lee Kern, PhD, is Associate Chair of the College of Education and Professor of Special Education at Lehigh University. Her research interests include behavior problems among children and adolescents.

Grace I. L. Caskie

Grace I. L. Caskie, PhD, is an associate professor at Lehigh University, primarily teaching statistical analysis courses. Her research interests include health, cognition, and daily functioning in older adults; personal and training factors that influence trainees' interest and attitudes toward counseling older adults; and the accuracy of self-reported information, particularly with regard to health.

Robert J. Volpe

Robert J. Volpe, PhD, is Associate Professor of Counseling and Applied Educational Psychology at Northeastern University. His primary research interests concern academic problems experienced by children with ADHD, behavioral assessment, and academic interventions.