Behavioral self-regulation among children with hyperactivity and inattention in the first year of school: A population-based latent profile analysis and links with later ADHD diagnosis.

Abstract

Educational Impact and Implications Statement We examined behavioral self-regulation profiles among kindergarten children who were assessed as developmentally vulnerable in terms of hyperactivity and inattention. We examined three types of behavioral self-regulation: learning behaviors (e.g., staying on task), socially responsible behaviors (e.g., exhibiting respect for others), and aggressive-disruptive behaviors (e.g., hurting other children). To identify the profiles, we determined how students fared on the three behaviors and then grouped similar children into profiles according to patterns of similar behavior. Results revealed six profiles that were replicated across two cohorts of children. In addition, results yield understanding about profiles that were more (or less) likely to be associated with a subsequent diagnosis of ADHD up to 5 years later. The findings hold implications for efforts to promote behavioral self-regulation among children, along with the development of interventions that are targeted to the unique needs of each profile. We used latent profile analysis to identify major behavioral self-regulation profiles among children who were assessed as developmentally vulnerable in terms of hyperactivity and inattention. We examined three domains of behavioral regulation: (a) cognitive-behavioral regulation by way of learning behaviors; (b) social-behavioral regulation by way of socially responsible behaviors; and (c) emotional-behavioral regulation by way of aggressive-disruptive behaviors. We employed data from the population of New South Wales (NSW) children who were in their first year of school (viz., kindergarten) and who had been assessed as developmentally vulnerable in terms of hyperactivity and inattention in the Australian Early Development Census in 2009 (Cohort 1; N = 10,223) and 2012 (Cohort 2; N = 9,360). In both cohorts, we identified six similar profiles: the well-regulated (12%), moderately-regulated (25%), aggressive-regulated (7%), mixed-unregulated (32%), nonaggressive-unregulated (10%), and aggressive-unregulated profiles (14%). Sociodemographic characteristics were significantly associated with profile membership. For Cohort 1, we also found that the profiles differed in the extent to which children went on to receive a formal Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) diagnosis. Together, the findings have implications for early intervention for various behavioral self-regulation profiles among developmentally vulnerable children.