Gender differences in the comorbidity of ADHD symptoms and specific learning disorders in a population-based sample
Publication date
2021-07-28
Document type
Forschungsartikel
Author
Organisational unit
Publisher
MDPI
Series or journal
Sustainability
ISSN
Periodical volume
13
Periodical issue
15
Article ID
8440
Peer-reviewed
✅
Part of the university bibliography
✅
Funding(s)
Language
English
Keyword
ADHD
Specific learning disorders
Reading disorders
Spelling disorders
Math disorders
Dyslexia
Dyscalculia
Sex differences
Teacher support
Academic achievement
Abstract
Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often exhibit comorbid specific learning disorders. In clinical samples, comorbidity in girls with ADHD tends to be more common than in boys with ADHD. However, this is not the case in studies of random samples. In this paper gender differences in the comorbidity of ADHD symptoms and learning disorders in reading, spelling and math are explored in a population-based sample of 2605 3rd and 4th graders (1304 girls) without symptoms of ADHD and 415 (141 girls) with symptoms of ADHD. Girls with ADHD symptoms had higher ratios of comorbid math disorders than boys with ADHD symptoms, but not with reading or spelling disorders. Math achievement was predicted by gender and by symptoms of inattention. Girls with ADHD symptoms and math disorders received the same amount of additional support from teachers or therapists as boys with ADHD symptoms and math disorders. Our results highlight the importance of exploring the increased comorbidity of specific learning disorders in children with ADHD symptoms and especially with math disorders in girls with ADHD symptoms. Implications for providing suitable interventions and preventing the accumulation of academic problems are discussed.
Description
This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Version
Published version
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