Predictive accuracy of the wide range assessment of memory and learning in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and reading difficulties

Dev Neuropsychol. 2001;19(2):173-89. doi: 10.1207/S15326942DN1902_3.

Abstract

The predictive accuracy of the Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning (WRAML; Sheslow & Adams, 1990) over and above more standardized diagnostic tools in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and reading disabilities (RD) was examined. Fifty-three children with ADHD, 63 with RD, 63 with ADHD-RD, and 112 normal comparison children were administered the WRAML, the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III; Wechsler, 1991), the Achenbach (1991) Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery-Revised (WJ-R; Woodcock & Johnson, 1989). Results of a series of discriminant function analyses revealed that the academic, intellectual, and behavioral measures could correctly classify 73.1% of children, but the WRAML subtests alone were able to correctly classify only 58.5% of participants. Combining all of the memory, academic, intellectual, and behavioral measures resulted in 77.5% of cases being correctly classified. These results suggest that the use of a measure of memory functioning such as the WRAML did not significantly improve the predictive accuracy of a diagnosis of ADHD, RD, or both over and above more standard diagnostic academic, intellectual, and behavioral measures.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / complications*
  • Child
  • Dyslexia / complications*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Learning Disabilities / complications*
  • Learning Disabilities / diagnosis
  • Male
  • Memory Disorders / complications*
  • Memory Disorders / diagnosis
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Prospective Studies
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Wechsler Scales