Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder among mentally retarded children

Teachers completed the Connors' Teacher Rating Scale (CTRS-39) on 100 boys assigned to one of four groups based on an IQ screen and scores on a DSM-III-R checklist of the symptoms for Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (AD-HD). The groups included children rated high on AD-HD, mentally retarded children, mentally retarded children rated high on AD-HD, and a normal control group. Using the CTRS-39, there were no significant differences between the normal IQ AD-HD group and the mentally retarded AD-HD group on all but one of the factors. Mentally retarded children in general were found to be more anxious than their normal peers, whereas normal IQ AD-HD children were rated higher than the other groups on the Asocial factor. Implications of these data and future directions are discussed.