ARTICLES
Behavioral Distinctions in Children with Reading Disabilities and/or ADHD

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ABSTRACT

Objective

To investigate behavioral distinctions between children with reading disabilities (RD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Method

A tour-group mixed design consisting of children with reading disabilities only (RD only), reading disabilities and ADHD (RD/ADHD), ADHD only, and a comparison group was used. Differences between parent reports, from age 5 to 15 years, and teacher reports, from age 5 to 13 years, were examined on measures of hyperactive and antisocial behaviors.

Results

The analyses indicated that, at home, children from the ADHD only and RD/ADHD groups exhibited significantly more hyperactive behaviors than children from the RD only and comparison groups. At school, children from the RD only, ADHD only, and RD/ADHD groups typically exhibited significantly more hyperactive and antisocial behaviors than children from the comparison group. With regard to antisocial behaviors, children from the RD/ADHD group exhibited significantly more antisocial behaviors than children from any other group.

Conclusions

The results of the study indicate that children from these groups may exhibit either a “pervasive” or “situational” presentation of behavioral problems, a finding which suggests that in conducting an evaluation of ADHD it is important to obtain both parent and teacher reports of problem behaviors.

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    Dr. Pisecco's work was completed while on a Fulbright Grant funded by the New Zealand-United States Educational Foundation. This research was also supported by grants from the NIMH (MH45070 to Terrie Moffitt and MH49414 to Avshalom Caspi). Dr. Silva and the DMHDRU are supported by the New Zealand Health Research Council. Special thanks to Terrie Moffitt, Avshalom Caspi, and anonymous reviewers for editorial comments.

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    Copyright © 1996 The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.