Characteristics of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder from kindergarten through second grade

Abstract

A community based sample of children from kindergarten, first grade, and second grade was examined on characteristics of cognitive skills, social skills, and family environment to determine if ADHD children differed in these characteristics from non-ADHD children. The sample included 161 children: 39 were ADHD (25 boys and 14 girls) and 122 non-ADHD (93 boys and 68 girls). Cognitive skills were measured using the Woodcock-Johnson Applied Problems and Letter Identification subtests and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test. Social skills were measured using the Social Skills Rating Scale, the parent form and the teacher form. Socioeconomic status was measured using parental education levels. Family environment was determined by a history of ADHD in the parents, a history of ADHD in other sibling(s), and the number of biological parents the child was living with. Results indicated that ADHD children had lower scores on the Woodcock-Johnson tests than the non-ADHD children. ADHD girls had lower scores on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test than the non-ADHD girls. ADHD children had lower scores on social skills than the nonADHD children. ADHD children were more likely to have a history of ADHD in the family and to be living in a single parent household. Results were intrepreted as supporting the utility of cognitive and social assessments in kindergarten for predicting children identified with ADHD by second grade.