Briley E. Proctor

Is short stature a handicap? A comparison of the psychosocial functioning of referred and nonreferred children with normal short stature and children with normal stature

OBJECTIVES Normal short stature (NSS), defined as height below the 5th percentile for age and sex norms that is not due to illness, hormonal deficiency, or part of a dysmorphic syndrome, has been thought to have a deleterious effect on psychosocial functioning based on observations of referred populations. Recent studies of nonreferred children with NSS, however, have demonstrated normal function. This study directly compared the psychosocial functioning of referred children with NSS, nonreferred children with NSS, and children with normal stature. STUDY DESIGN Participants, 90 children (46 boys, 44 girls) between 6 and 12 years of age (mean, 9. 6 years), were administered intelligence and achievement tests. Parents and teachers assessed adaptive and problem behaviors. Family adaptability and cohesiveness were measured. RESULTS Intelligence and achievement for referred and nonreferred children with NSS were average. Referred children with NSS were reported to have more externalizing behavior problems and poorer social skills than nonreferred children with NSS and children in the control group. Family adaptability and cohesiveness were comparable across groups. CONCLUSIONS Children with NSS have normal psychosocial function, and results suggest that externalizing behavior problems, attention problems, and poor social skills in children referred to clinics for NSS are inappropriately attributed to short stature.

Study Skills Profiles of Normal-Achieving and Academically-Struggling College Students

Profile analysis was used to compare the study skills of academically struggling college students to their normal-achieving counterparts using the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI; Weinstein & Palmer, 2002). Comparisons were made between: (a) students with high versus low GPAs; (b) students with a documented learning disability (LD) versus a non-LD control group; (c) students referred for a psycho-educational evaluation due to academic difficulties versus a control group; and (d) clinic-referred students with LDs versus clinic-referred students without LDs. Overall, the academically struggling groups displayed weaknesses in study skills relative to their comparison groups in five areas. When compared to the normative population of the LASSI, the groups also displayed weaknesses in seven of ten areas assessed.

Agreement Among Four Models Used for Diagnosing Learning Disabilities

We compared the level of agreement among four models used to diagnose learning disabilities (LD), including the simple discrepancy, intraindividual, intellectual ability—achievement, and underachievement models. The sample included 170 clinic-referred university students. The simple discrepancy model diagnosed significantly more students with LD than the other three models. The highest degree of agreement occurred between the intraindividual and intellectual ability—achievement models (70%); the lowest level of agreement occurred between the simple discrepancy and underachievement models (48%). Finally, only two of the six comparisons among the four models demonstrated significant correlations. We conclude that even when discrepancy models diagnose similar numbers of students with LD, the same students are not diagnosed across different models.

Work Performance Differences Between College Students With and Without ADHD

Objective: This study examines the difference between college students with and without Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in regard to their work performance. Method: A series of ANOVAs analyzed group differences in symptoms experienced at work. The independent variable was group (i.e., ADHD, Controls). The dependent variables include items from Barkley’s “Work Performance Rating Scale” (Barkley & Murphy, 1998), which assesses the degree to which symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity are evident on the job. For the group with ADHD, the relationship between symptom severity and indicators of work performance (e.g., number of times fired, overall rating of work performance) was also examined, using correlational analyses. Descriptive analyses were also used to examine which items were most frequently endorsed by the group with ADHD, as well as which areas of work were most affected by ADHD symptoms. Results: Results reveal that ADHD has a detrimental impact on the work performance of college students in multiple areas. Severity of symptoms was unrelated to number of times fired from a job and the overall indicator of work performance. Conclusion: College students with ADHD do exhibit more on-the-job difficulties than their non-ADHD peers, and thus may require extra support with their work-related endeavors.

The Positive Illusory Bias: Does It Explain Self-Evaluations in College Students with ADHD?.

Objective: To evaluate whether the positive illusory bias explains the self-evaluations of driving and work behaviors in college students with ADHD. Method: A total of 103 students with ADHD were compared to a sample of 94 students without ADHD. Both groups completed self-reports of their specific driving and work behaviors and then rated their overall, global performance in each area. Three specific-to-global change scores were obtained (one measuring work and two measuring driving) that were thought to be measures of the positive illusory bias. These specific-to-global change scores were analyzed using chi-square to evaluate differences between participants with and without ADHD. Results: The participants with ADHD were significantly more likely than the participants without ADHD to engage in the positive illusory bias on two of the three work and driving ratings. Conclusion: College students with ADHD demonstrate self-evaluations that appear to reflect the positive illusory bias and that may be related to their academic functioning in the college setting and willingness to receive treatment.

The revised learning and study strategies inventory : An evaluation of competing models

Two competing structural models for the revised Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI) were examined. The test developers promote a model related to three uncorrelated components of strategic learning: skill, will, and self-regulation. Other investigators have shown empirical support for a three-factor correlated model characterized by effort-related activities, goal orientation, and cognitive activities (ER-GO-CA). Neither model has been verified on scores from the second edition of the LASSI. In the present sample of 297 college students, confirmatory factor analysis of the subscale scores provided support for the ER-GO-CA model.

Drug and Alcohol Use in College Students With and Without ADHD

Objective: This study examines differences in reported levels of drug and alcohol use between college students with and without ADHD. Method: The Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (MAST) and several self-report and interview questions, developed by Barkley, were used to examine the drug and alcohol use of college students with and without ADHD. Results: Between-group differences were found on the MAST and in the endorsement of marijuana use. Subtype differences were also found on the MAST. Several factors, including medication treatment status, ethnicity, class standing, and gender were found to be differentially related to problematic drinking behaviors. Conclusions: Difficulties in self-regulation may put college students with ADHD at a higher risk of problematic drinking and the subsequent risk for alcohol-use disorders than their peers. Possible explanations for results are discussed in terms of theory, prevention efforts, and future research.

Time Estimation Abilities of College Students With ADHD

Objective: To evaluate the time estimation abilities of college students with ADHD on a novel, complex task that approximated academically oriented activities. Method: Totally 20 college students with ADHD were compared to a sample of 20 non-ADHD students. Both groups completed a task, and scores were obtained for time to complete the task, errors made, prospective time estimate, confidence in estimate, and retrospective time estimate. In addition, scores were calculated for the difference between prospective estimate and actual time as well as the difference between retrospective estimate and actual time. Results: Controlling for cognitive ability, the ADHD participants were significantly different from the non-ADHD participants on all dependent measures except confidence and errors. Conclusion: College students with ADHD showed retrospective time estimation difficulties that may be related to academic functioning in the college setting.

Confirming the Factor Structure of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms in College Students Using Student and Parent Data

This study used confirmatory factor analysis to compare one-, two-, and three-factor models of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms to determine which model is the best fit for the data. Participants were 190 clinic-referred college students who had been evaluated for ADHD, 155 of whom had received a diagnosis. Data consisted of both self- and other (e.g., parent) ratings of both current and childhood symptoms. Symptoms came directly from the DSM-IV criteria for ADHD. A three-factor model, consistent with the DSM-III, was superior for current and childhood symptoms, regardless of rater (i.e., self or parent). The primary implication for these findings is that there may be a viable Impulsive subtype of ADHD within the adult population. Further research might include a closer examination of the unique functional limitations associated with impulsivity, as well as the development of diagnostic items that maximize model fit.

Use of Grade-Based Norms Versus Age-Based Norms in Psychoeducational Assessment for a College Population

Considerable discussion has occurred about the most appropriate methods for diagnosing learning disabilities (LD) in postsecondary students. Two of the many areas of controversy that have emerged include the appropriate diagnostic criteria to use and the appropriate referent group. A review of previous court cases demonstrates that the issue of whether to compare an individual to the general population or to a smaller referent population has not been adequately clarified. Furthermore, few empirical studies have examined the impact of choosing different referent groups on the likelihood that one will be diagnosed with LD. Therefore, this correlational study described the levels of agreement between three diagnostic models of LD, using both age- and grade-based norms to represent two referent groups for each of the three models. The sample included 155 postsecondary students referred for testing due to academic difficulties. The findings indicated that in two of the three models tested, comparing individuals to their grade-matched peers (i.e., using grade-based norms) resulted in more LD diagnoses than comparing individuals to their age-matched peers (i.e., age-based norms).