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The hyperactive child at adolescence: cognitive, emotional, and social functioning
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology
|September 1, 1978
Summary
Hyperactive children continue to experience attentional and processing difficulties into adolescence. These challenges impact academic performance and social functioning, highlighting the long-term effects of childhood hyperactivity.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Child Psychiatry
Background:
- Limited longitudinal studies exist on hyperactive children.
- Hyperactivity often persists into adolescence with potential long-term impacts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the long-term cognitive and psychosocial outcomes of adolescents with a history of hyperactivity.
- To investigate persistent attentional and processing deficits in adolescents diagnosed with hyperactivity.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 15 adolescents diagnosed with hyperactivity 5 years prior was compared to a matched control group.
- Cognitive assessments included tests of sustained attention, visual-motor skills, motor skills, abstraction, and reading ability.
- Self-assessment questionnaires evaluated self-esteem, activity level, social functioning, academic status, and career aspirations.
Main Results:
- Hyperactive adolescents performed significantly worse on sustained attention, visual-motor, and motor tasks.
- Reading abilities were impaired in hyperactive adolescents on two of four tests.
- Lower self-ratings in self-esteem and sociability were reported by the hyperactive group.
Conclusions:
- Adolescents with a history of hyperactivity exhibit persistent attentional and stimulus-processing difficulties.
- These deficits negatively affect both academic achievement and social interactions.
- Longitudinal follow-up is crucial for understanding the enduring effects of childhood hyperactivity.