Developmental trajectories of clinically significant attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms from grade 3 through 12 in a high-risk sample: Predictors and outcomes

This study supports the notion that clinically significant ADHD symptoms persist into adolescence for some children, but not for others. Children who are more hyperactive or aggressive, or whose parents are inconsistent or ineffective with discipline, are more likely to have clinically significant and stable ADHD symptoms and show more antisocial activities and worse graduation and employment rates in late adolescence. In contrast, children with clinically significant ADHD symptoms who are less hyperactive and aggressive, and who are more socially isolated, tend to show a declining pattern of ADHD symptoms and better functional outcomes.