A longitudinal study of the association between inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity and children’s academic attainment at age 11

Merrell, Christine; Sayal, Kapil; Tymms, Peter; Kasim, Adetayo

Abstract

Background: The link between inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity and poor academic outcomes is well established. Children with mild difficulties can go unnoticed yet may be at risk of poor academic outcomes.

Aims: To investigate the link between a continuum of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity at age five and academic attainment at age 11.

Sample: The sample comprised 46,369 children from 1812 English primary schools.
Methods: Reading and mathematics when starting school. Teachers rated behaviour at age five. English and mathematics were assessed at age 11.
Results: A substantive negative direct relationship was found between the severity of inattentive behaviour at age 5 and attainment at age 11. Hyperactivity was not significant but impulsivity was weakly but positively associated with attainment. These relationships applied across the whole range of behaviour scores.

Conclusions: Investigation of the continuum of symptoms has important implications for the teachers; particularly for those children with mild inattention whose difficulties may go unnoticed.

Citation

Merrell, C., Sayal, K., Tymms, P., & Kasim, A. (2017). A longitudinal study of the association between inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity and children’s academic attainment at age 11. Learning and Individual Differences, 53, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2016.04.003

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 2, 2016
• Online Publication Date: Apr 28, 2016
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2017
• Deposit Date: Apr 25, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 28, 2016
• Journal: Learning and Individual Differences
• Print ISSN: 1041-6080
• Electronic ISSN: 1041-6080
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 53
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2016.04.003
• Keywords: Inattention; Hyperactivity; Impulsivity; Attainment; Progress
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/971042
• Publisher URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1041608016300310