Lucy Barnard

The Importance of ADHD Subtype Classification for Educational Applications of DSM-V

Objective: An examination of the academic achievement of children with ADHD by stimulant treatment status must consider this heterogeneity of the disorder. With the dissemination of the final wave of data, the Special Education Elementary Longitudinal Study presents an opportunity to examine the academic achievement of students with ADHD using a large, community-based, and nationally representative sample over 4 years. Method: In Study 1, the association between stimulant treatment and academic achievement is examined over 4 years. In Study 2, the association between stimulant treatment and academic achievement is examined acknowledging the influence of subtype symptoms of ADHD using growth mixture modeling. Results: Results indicate significant differences in academic achievement according to long-term stimulant treatment status within each subtype symptom class. Conclusion: Research should acknowledge the influence of subtype symptoms when examining outcomes such as academic achievement. The upcoming DSM-V should consider the results as indicating the educational relevance of ADHD subtype classification. (J. of Att. Dis. 2010; 13(6) 573-583)

Factors Influencing the Effectiveness of Note Taking on Computer-Based Graphic Organizers.

Previous research on graphic organizer (GO) note taking has shown that this method is most effective when the GO is presented to the student partially complete with provided notes. This study extended prior research by investigating the effects of provided note type (summary vs. verbatim) and GO bite size (large vs. small) on the transfer performance and note taking behavior of college students working with a set of partially complete computer-based GOs. As hypothesized, a note-type by bite size interaction occurred on transfer performance. Large-bites GOs were optimal when containing summary notes, but not when containing verbatim notes. In contrast, small-bites GOs were optimal when containing verbatim notes, but not summary notes. Additionally, the type of notes provided to students affected the quality of their notes taken. The findings are explained from the perspective of cognitive load theory and the map shock hypothesis.