Head Start Children with a Putative Diagnosis of ADHD: a Four-Year Follow-up of Special Education Placement‪.‬

Considerable evidence exists that children with a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have a wide range of school problems that persist into adolescence or even adulthood (Biederman, Faraone, Milberger, Curtis, Chen, Mars, Ouellette, Moore & Spencer, 1996; Elia, Ambrosini, & Rapoport, 1999; MacDonald & Achenbach, 1996; Taylor, Chadwick, Hepinstall & Danckaerts, 1996). Little research has been done, however, on children with ADHD in their very early school years (Sanson, Smart, Prior & Oberklaid, 1992; Stormont-Spurgin & Zentall, 1995; Zametkin & Ernst, 1999). Critical aspects of school functioning have therefore not been widely examined in young children with ADHD including special education needs, academic or social functioning, patterns of critical school events, or subsequent emotional or behavior problems. Although early detection and treatment of ADHD is critical, Weinberg and Weinberg (1990) have argued that school professionals tend often not to refer such children to special education or related services, mistakenly failing to see their disruptive behavior as symptomatic of ADHD. Special education is the only school program in which special assistance is mandated for children with school learning or behavior problems. Although a separate category of special education for children with ADHD has never been created, federal officials have suggested that such children may qualify for special education in the learning disability (LD), emotional disturbance (ED) or other health impaired (OH) categories (Davila, Williams & MacDonald, 1991). ADHD was, in fact, recently added to the list of medical conditions that could qualify as a health impairment under the OH category under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (U.S. Department of Education, 2000). Forness and Kavale (2001) have reviewed available research on these eligibility issues and concluded that children with a diagnosis of ADHD comprise approximately 26% of children in LD programs, 43% in ED, and 40% in OH.