ADHD Symptoms and Executive Function Impairment: Early Predictors of Later Behavioral Problems

Abstract

This longitudinal study investigated ADHD symptoms and EF impairments in terms of continuity and cross-domain associations, as well as their predictive relations to a range of socioemotional problem behaviors. We applied a factorial ANOVA design to study additive and interactive effects in a sample of non-clinical preschool children (N = 87) and complemented these analyses with group contrasts. The results showed that early ADHD symptoms and EF impairments acted as predictors of continuing problems within each domain. However, it was only ADHD symptoms that predicted other aspects of socioemotional functioning such as dysfunctional emotional regulation and lower levels of social competence. There was no indication of interactive effects on any measure. In conclusion, our results showed that both ADHD symptoms and impaired EF act as early predictors of problem behaviors, although it is clear that predictions based on ADHD symptoms encompass a wider range of problems in early school age children.