UCSF

Youth with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often exhibit impairments in mathematics, but long-term math development into adulthood, particularly in females, is underexplored. We characterized trajectories of math achievement in girls with ADHD and an age- and ethnicity-matched comparison sample from childhood through early adulthood across four waves and examined childhood cognitive predictors (global executive functioning, working memory, processing speed) of trajectories. The ethnically and socioeconomically diverse sample comprised 140 girls with carefully diagnosed ADHD and 88 neurotypicals, ages 6 to 12 years at baseline. Using latent growth curve models, we examined predictors of 16-year math achievement trajectories. In both the ADHD and neurotypical groups, scores declined over time; rates of change did not differ significantly. Yet in the ADHD sample, math difficulties (defined as scores at least 1 SD below the national average) increased notably over time, with many such difficulties emerging after childhood. By adulthood, nearly half of women with ADHD exhibited clear math difficulties. Worse baseline global executive functioning predicted slower math growth over time. Girls with ADHD may benefit from math supports before concerns emerge or worsen after childhood. Additional research on preventive interventions for math difficulties, including investigation of executive functioning, is warranted.