Relation of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to basic number skills and arithmetic fact retrieval in children.
Kids with ADHD symptoms can still hit average math scores if their executive functions are strong—target inhibition and working memory, not just attention.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team looked at kids with ADHD symptoms in late elementary school.
They tested two math skills: basic number sense and quick fact recall.
They also measured three brain skills: stopping, holding items, and paying attention.
What they found
Inattention hurt basic number skills more than fact recall.
Strong stopping and holding skills let high-ADHD kids reach average math scores.
So attention is not the whole story; other skills can balance it out.
How this fits with other research
Iglesias-Sarmiento et al. (2017) mapped ADHD to executive deficits and MLD to processing deficits.
Orbach et al. (2020) refine that map by showing strong executive skills can lift ADHD kids to average math.
Kanevski et al. (2023) extend the idea: ADHD plus movement issues shows weaker visuospatial working memory yet equal math, hinting at hidden routes to success.
Bouck et al. (2016) found high inhibition wipes out the IQ-math link in intellectual disability; Lars shows the opposite in ADHD—good inhibition lifts math.
Why it matters
You can stop blaming only attention for math gaps.
Screen stopping and working memory first.
If those look solid, teach the child to use them during math tasks.
If they look weak, train them directly and watch number skills rise.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Although research has provided evidence for a clear association of core executive function (CEF) to math performance, fewer studies have been carried out on arithmetic fact retrieval in relation to the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The present study assessed mathematical achievement on a basic number skill test and on an arithmetic fact retrieval task. Besides math achievement, self-ratings of ADHD symptoms (attention deficits, hyperactivity, impulsivity), core executive functions (inhibition, cognitive flexibility, working memory capacity, global index) and state anxiety in 646 fourth and fifth grade students (48.1 % girls) were measured. CEF was evaluated by means of a tablet-based test. Regression analysis showed different predictors for both math abilities. While all CEF measures, inattention and impulsivity self-ratings predicted basic number skills, only inhibition, WMC and inattention self-rating were predictors of arithmetic fact retrieval. On the basis of a cluster analysis of ADHD self-ratings and CEF performance, three different groups were identified: 1: low ADHD, average CEF; 2: high ADHD, low CEF; 3: moderate ADHD, high CEF. Cluster 2 showed scores below the mean in both math scores, whereas cluster 3 exhibited performances above the mean in both math scores. No math differences were found between cluster 1 and 3. The data yield evidence that the association between CEF and math achievement depends on the specific math skill and test type. The results underline the importance of differentiating between CEF components and specific math abilities. Implications for future research on the associations between mathematics, ADHD and CEF are discussed.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2020 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2020.103697