A longitudinal study of the association between inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity and children’s academic attainment at age 11

Background: The link between inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity and poor academic outcomes is well established. Children with mild difficulties can go unnoticed yet may be at risk of poor academic outcomes.Aims: To investigate the link between a continuum of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity at age five and academic attainment at age 11.Sample: The sample comprised 46,369 children from 1812 English primary schools.Methods: Reading and mathematics when starting school. Teachers rated behaviour at age five. English and mathematics were assessed at age 11.Results: A substantive negative direct relationship was found between the severity of inattentive behaviour at age 5 and attainment at age 11. Hyperactivity was not significant but impulsivity was weakly but positively associated with attainment. These relationships applied across the whole range of behaviour scores.Conclusions: Investigation of the continuum of symptoms has important implications for the teachers; particularly for those children with mild inattention whose difficulties may go unnoticed