The Developmental Course of Teacher-Rated ADHD Symptom Levels in an Early Childhood Community Sample.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined trajectories of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity symptom levels across one preschool year and explored variation in trajectories by age, sex, and end-of-year impairment.


METHOD
Participants were 261 preschoolers (87% Head Start; 59% Caucasian; 53% boys; Mage = 3.97 years). Teachers rated ADHD symptom levels four times throughout one academic year.


RESULTS
Results showed a course of increasing inattention that decelerated over time and steadily increasing hyperactivity/impulsivity. Group-based finite mixture modeling revealed three trajectories of inattention: stable low (57%), change (32%), and stable high (11%), as well as three trajectories of hyperactivity/impulsivity: stable low (63%), increasing (26%), and stable high (11%). Compared to children with increasing or changing symptoms levels, children with stable high levels were more impaired and children with stable low symptom levels were less impaired.


CONCLUSION
Findings suggest a "wait and see" approach to treatment may miss an important opportunity for early intervention.
['Martin|Caroline P|CP|https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6774-4408', 'Shoulberg|Erin K|EK|', 'Hoza|Betsy|B|']
early childhood preschool impairment finite mixture models attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder developmental trajectories