They Don't Go Away When You Grow Up

Abstract

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and learning disabilities (LD) are most frequently associated with childhood. This, of course, is because a child's job is to sit in a classroom, pay attention, and learn, and these are disorders that interfere with completing that job. Because these disorders are presumed due to brain dysfunction, it should be no surprise that both LD and ADHD continue to exert effects as children grow, go on to postsecondary education, and enter the job market. That is, developmental learning disorders, including LD and ADHD, do not “go away” when one becomes an adult. Several research groups have followed children with LD or ADHD into adulthood and have shown the persistence of symptoms and cognitive deficits, along with the toll that these difficulties take on psychosocial functioning, later academic performance, and vocational advancement.