Mapping the academic problem behaviors of adolescents with ADHD.

Abstract

Objective This study possessed two aims: (1) to develop and validate aclinician -friendly measure of academic problem behavior that is relevant to the assessment of adolescents with ADHD and (2) to better understand the cross-situational expression of academic problem behaviors displayed by these youth. Method Within a sample of 324 adolescents with DSM-IV-TR diagnosed ADHD (age M=13.07, SD=1.47), parent, teacher, and adolescent self-report versions of the Adolescent Academic Problems Checklist (AAPC) were administered and compared. Item prevalence rates, factorial validity, inter-rater agreement, internal consistency, and concurrent validity were evaluated. Results Findings indicated the value of the parent and teacher AAPC as a psychometrically valid measure of academic problems in adolescents with ADHD. Parents and teachers offered unique perspectives on the academic functioning of adolescents with ADHD, indicating the complementary roles of these informants in the assessment process. According to parent and teacher reports, adolescents with ADHD displayed problematic academic behaviors in multiple daily tasks, with time management and planning deficits appearing most pervasive. Conclusions Adolescents with ADHD display heterogeneous academic problems that warrant detailed assessment prior to treatment. As a result, the AAPC may be a useful tool for clinicians and school staff conducting targeted assessments with these youth.

Longitudinal evaluation of the importance of homework assignment completion for the academic performance of middle school students with ADHD

“…One measure recently developed that has parent and teacher versions and that assesses multiple aspects of the homework completion cycle is the Homework Performance Questionnaire (Power et al, 2014). Another measure that broadly assesses the academic behaviors that adolescents with ADHD struggle with including homework behaviors is the Adolescent Academic Problems Checklist (AAPC; Sibley, Altszuler, Morrow, & Merrill, 2014). Both of these measures would appear to be good tools for broadly assessing treatment outcomes with homework focused interventions as they have parent and teacher versions.…”

Metacognitive interventions in text production and working memory in students with ADHD

“…The high risk of low school performance associated with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is well established (American Psychiatric Association, 2014;DuPaul, Gormley, & Laracy, 2012;Sibley, Altszuler, Morrow, & Merrill et al, 2014). Writing seems to be the most impaired and the least studied skill in this group of children (Mayes & Calhoun, 2006;Dorneles et al, 2014).…”

Parent Management of Organization, Time Management, and Planning Deficits among Adolescents with ADHD

“…Adolescents with DSM-IV-TR ADHD ( N = 299) enrolled in one of four concurrent psychosocial treatment studies with a common battery at an ethnically diverse urban university clinic (Sibley et al 2013, 2014a, b, c, 2015a, b). Participants were referred by their parents and schools and data were collected from parents, adolescents, and teachers at initial presentation to the research clinic.…”

“…During middle and high school, executive functioning deficits (i.e., organization, time management, and planning problems; Barkley et al 2001) are the most consistently identified mechanisms of ADHD-related academic failure (Langberg et al 2013; Rogers et al 2011; Sibley et al 2014a). At the transition to middle school, the academic environment becomes increasingly complex as students must independently transition between classes with separate teachers, keep track of assigned work and deadlines, and complete multistep academic tasks and projects (Eccles 2004).…”

“…Organization, time management, and planning (OTP) deficits become pernicious in secondary school, as older youth with ADHD struggle to master increased environmental demands with decreased teacher supervision (Benner and Graham 2009; Eccles 2004). Most teens with ADHD display OTP problems when managing school work (Sibley et al 2014a, b, c), which manifest as disorganized materials, difficulty keeping track of assignments, poorly planned long-term projects, and trouble managing time during homework and other routine daily activities. Noticeably, the effect of these deficits on academics seems to vary (Kent et al 2011) and can be debilitating for some, but not others (Barbaresi et al 2007; Barkley et al 2002).…”