Patterns of Early Development in Children with ADHD

OBJECTIVE: The primary aim of this study was to compare early trajectories of cognitive/motor development and adaptive functioning between school-aged children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and typically developing (TD) children. A secondary, more exploratory, aim was to determine whether groups differed in their eligibility for early intervention services at individual timepoints. METHOD: = 123). Linear mixed-effects models were used to estimate subscale-level trajectories, while chi-squared or Fisher's exact tests were used to test for group differences in rates of service eligibility. RESULTS: Trajectories often varied by group. Children with ADHD had lower estimated raw scores on all subscales of the Mullen Scales of Early Learning and nearly all subscales of the Vineland-II than TD children. Further, the ADHD group had higher rates of service eligibility in several domains, particularly communication and socialization. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that children with ADHD differ in early trajectories of cognitive/motor development and adaptive functioning, and that children at elevated likelihood for ADHD may benefit from increased screening and supports for delays.