The Impact of Inattention, Hyperactivity/Impulsivity Symptoms, and Executive Functions on Learning Behaviors of Children with ADHD.

Carla Colomer,Belén Roselló,Inmaculada Baixauli,Carmen Berenguer,Ana Miranda

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00540

Abstract

Children diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at risk of experiencing lower academic achievement compared to their peers without ADHD. However, we have a limited understanding of the mechanisms underlying this association. Both the symptoms of the disorder and the executive functions can negatively influence learning behaviors, including motivation, attitude toward learning, or persistence, key aspects of the learning process. The first objective of this study was to compare different components of learning behaviors in children diagnosed with ADHD and typically developing (TD) children. The second objective was to analyze the relationships among learning behaviors, executive functioning, and symptoms of hyperactivity/impulsivity in both groups. Participants were 35 children diagnosed with ADHD and 37 with TD (7–11 years old), matched on age and IQ. The teachers filled out the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) and the Learning Behaviors Scale, which evaluates Competence/motivation, Attitude toward learning, Attention/persistence, and Strategy/flexibility. In addition, parents and teachers filled out the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for ADHD. ANOVAs showed significant differences between children with ADHD and TD children on all the learning behaviors. Moreover, in both the ADHD and TD groups, the behavioral regulation index of the BRIEF predicted the search for strategies, and the metacognition index was a good predictor of motivation. However, attitude toward learning was predicted by metacognition only in the group with ADHD. Therefore, the executive functions had greater power than the typical symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity in predicting learning behaviors of children with ADHD. The findings are in line with other studies that support the influence of the executive functions on performance, highlighting the importance of including their development as a top priority from early ages in the school setting in order to strengthen learning behaviors.

Highlights

Children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at risk of school failure
According to teachers’ ratings, 54.3% of the children diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) exhibited learning behavior problems (T < 35), whereas none of the typically developing (TD) children presented these problems
This study examined learning behaviors in children diagnosed with ADHD

Summary

Introduction

Children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at risk of school failure. Academic competence is a multidimensional construct comprised of academic skills and academic enablers (attitudes and behaviors) that facilitate school success (DiPerna and Elliott, 2002) This means that observable and modifiable learning behaviors related to motivation, positive attitudes toward learning, the ability to maintain attention, flexibility in problem solving, and persistence on academic tasks play an important role in academic achievement. These characteristics that facilitate academic success are referred to by Stott et al (1988) as “approaches toward learning” or “learning behaviors”, and by DiPerna and Elliott (2002) as some of the “academic enablers”. McDermott et al (2016, p. 60) states that “define the effortful and goal-directed means by which children go about classroom learning processes, as distinguished from the cognitive skills and socio-behavioral adaptations that might emerge from those learning processes”

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