| Julia Ogg
Michigan State University
Predictors of reading achievement in a population of school-aged children with parent and school reported ADHD
FINAL REPORT
In school-aged children,Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most common reason for a mental health referral (Barkley, 1998), and is also one of the most chronic health problems(Pastor & Reuben, 2002). Academic underachievement is often considered one of the primary long-term outcomes of ADHD and is experienced by as many as 80 percent of children with ADHD (DuPaul and Stoner, 2003). Given the large number of students with ADHD that are impacted academically, the purpose of this study was to further delineate predictors of academic achievement in this population. Of particular interest are those variables that are amenable to intervention within schools The current study examined reading achievement over time, among children eligible for special education, both with and without a parent and school report of ADHD, using latent growth modeling. The impact of demographic, student behavior, and intervention variables on reading growth was examined.
Findings suggest that schools play an important role above and beyond demographic characteristics of students when it comes to improving reading growth across a number of outcome measures. Demographic variables did not consistently impact the academic growth over time within this study. While externalizing behavior did not appear to have a significant impact on reading growth in the present study, positive student behaviors (e.g. completing homework on time) were related to growth on both a skill-based measure and on reading grades. Both academic and behavioral intervention variables were important factors in improving reading growth over time. The manner in which outcomes are measured is important and has implications for how growth is interpreted, as student reading grades were influenced differently than the skill-based measures. Specifically, the skill-based measures were significantly influenced by interventions, while grades were not. Additionally, the impact of the predictors was similar in this study for children both with and without a parent and school report of ADHD, suggesting that special education status is important to consider in studies that examine achievement in children with ADHD.
The results of this study suggest that variables which can be altered within the school setting can play an important role in reading growth over time, including positive student behaviors and intervention variables. The President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education (2002) suggests that out current system of special education has not consistently focused on the use of "evidence-based practice". As such, studies have often revealed small effect sizes for the impact of special education (Kavale and Forness, 1999). This study highlights several intervention targets amenable to change in the school setting that are based on evidence-based practices for children diagnosed with ADHD. An emphasis on reforming this system for one of the most frequent diagnoses for the school-aged population is imperative to improve the negative trajectory often associated with ADHD.
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