Original ArticlesAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder among adults with severe and profound mental retardation
Section snippets
Subjects and procedures
The subjects were selected from a Midwestern residential facility serving 182 adults with mental retardation. The subject selection criteria for this study included being ambulatory, a diagnosis of severe to profound mental retardation, and the absence of psychotropic medications. Eighty-six subjects (61 males, 25 females) met these criteria with an average age of 41.4 years (SD = 12.4; range = 21 to 72), an average IQ of 22.2 (SD = 12.89; range = 12 to 49), and an average adaptive age of 3.3
Results
Coefficient alpha was computed for each study instrument as a measure of internal reliability: DSM-IV’s Inattention Scale = .87, DSM-IV’s Hyperactivity and Impulsivity Scale = .85, and Conner’s Hyperactivity Index = .92. For purposes of data analyses, subject variables were categorized to produce cell sizes with sufficient subject numbers for data analyses. Subject categories included: age, younger = 38 years or less, older = 39 years or more; IQ, lower = 20 or less, higher = 21 or more;
Discussion
Scores on the Inattentive Scale of the DSM-IV were significantly influenced by subjects’ IQs. This scale also produced the highest incidence rate for meeting the diagnostic criterion for the ADHD, inattentive type (55%). This relatively high rate is consistent with the rates reported by Cherry and colleagues (1997) for impulse control. However, given that the DSM-IV’s Inattentive Scale is significantly influenced by IQ, coupled with the finding that its cutoff score is significantly related to
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