Behavior and Academic Achievement in Hyperactive Subgroups and Learning-Disabled Boys

Abstract

• Hyperactive boys with and without conduct disorder and a contrast group of boys with specific reading disability were compared on behavior ratings and academic achievement six years after their initial examination to clarify the relationship between hyperactivity and learning disability. Both hyperactive groups were rated as problematic on dimensions of overactivity, inattention, and impulsivity. Hyperactive boys who had earlier been undersocialized and aggressive continued to have problems with aggression, while the "pure" hyperactive boys did not. Achievement measures showed performance to be normal for both subgroups, and the incidence of learning disability was only 8%. Reading-disabled youngsters, in contrast, showed only a behavior problem with inattention, yet they all continued to exhibit significant achievement delays. These findings suggest that, while hyperactivity and learning disability may coexist, the incidence of such overlap is less than previously estimated. (AJDC 1984;138:1025-1029)