Mathematical performance and behavior of children with hyperactivity with and without coexisting aggression. Behavior Research and Therapy

Summary-An analysis was made of a basic skill deficit and collateral behavior that could differentiate youth with hyperactivity from children with both hyperactivity and aggression. A total of 92 boys (with hyperactivity, with hyperactivity and aggresSion, and without disorders) were. assessed for their timed performance and accuracy of computer-generated math operations. Response time differences docu-mented between disordered and nondisordered groups, and between the diagnostic groups, were not explained by the group differences th~t were also observed in behavior or motor response speed (typing). Conclusions derived from these findings, and from prior work, indicated that speed of addition may be a marker of academic and social dysfunction. The overall importance of this assessment is related to the potential sensitivity of math fluency data for assessment and treatment monitoring. It has been demonstrated that young children with hyperactivity (attention deficit hyperactive disordered, ADHD)t and learning disorders have poorer computational performance than that of comparison groups (e.g. Hasselbring, Goin & Bransford, 1988; Zentall & Shaw, 1980). Findings that provide convergent validity have been reported by Badian and Ghublikian (1983), who selected children with poor computational skill and reported associated inattention, disorganization, and social disorder. However, at advanced grade levels, accuracy is no longer a sensitive measure o