Preschool children with disruptive behavior: three-year outcome as a function of adaptive disability

A significant discrepancy between intelligence and daily adaptive functioning, or adaptive disability (AD), has been previously found to be a associated with significant psychological morbidity in preschool children with disruptive behavior (DB). The utility of AD as a predictor of later developmental risks was examined in a 3-year longitudinal study of normal (N = 43) and DB preschool children. The DB children were grouped into those with AD (DB+AD; N = 28) and those without AD (DB-only; N = 98). All children were followed with annual evaluations to the end of second grade. Both DB groups demonstrated substantial and pervasive psychological and educational morbidity at 3-year follow-up. In comparison to DB-only children, DB+AD children had more symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and conduct disorder (CD), more severe and pervasive behavior problems at home, more parent-rated externalizing and internalizing, and lower academic competence and more behavioral problems at school. Parents of DB+AD children also reported greater parenting stress than did parents in the other groups. A significant contribution of AD to adverse outcomes in the DB group remained on some measures even after controlling for initial severity of DB. AD also contributed significantly to CD symptoms at follow-up after controlling for initial DB severity and initial CD symptoms. The results corroborate and extend earlier findings of the utility of AD as a risk indicator above severity of DB alone. They also imply that AD in the context of normal intellectual development may arise from both the deficient self-regulation associated with ADHD and from disrupted parenting. with exposure to kindergarten moderating these adverse effects.