Population: Is There a Relationship With Academic Performance?

Objective: The present study examines the relationship between self-reported levels of ADHD and academic outcomes, as well as aptitude. Method: A total of 523 college students took the Adult Self-Report Scale–Version 1.1 (ASRS-V1.1), and their scores were compared with course performance and ACT (American College Test) composite scores. Results: The measure identified 70 students (13.4%) as being in the “highly likely ” category for an ADHD diagnosis. Course exam and ACT scores for the 70 “highly likely ” students were statistically identical to the remaining 453 students in the sample and the 77 students identified as “highly unlikely ” as well. Only 4 of the “highly likely ” 70 students were registered with the university’s Office of Student Disability Services as having been diagnosed with ADHD. Conclusions: The ASRS-V1.1 failed to discriminate academic performance and aptitude differences between ADHD “highly likely ” and “highly unlikely” individuals. The use of self-report screeners of ADHD is questioned in contexts relating ADHD to academic performance. (J. of Att. Dis. 2011; XX(X) 1-XX