Family History of ADHD Associates with Stronger Problem-Solving Skills amongst 2- to 3-Year-Olds
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| Title: | Family History of ADHD Associates with Stronger Problem-Solving Skills amongst 2- to 3-Year-Olds |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Alexandra Hendry (ORCID |
| Source: | JCPP Advances. 2025 5(4). |
| Availability: | Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 18 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Problem Solving, Preschool Children, Toddlers, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Foreign Countries, Genetics, Check Lists, Child Behavior, Scores, Symptoms (Individual Disorders) |
| Geographic Terms: | United Kingdom, Sweden |
| Assessment and Survey Identifiers: | Child Behavior Checklist, Social Responsiveness Scale |
| DOI: | 10.1002/jcv2.70009 |
| ISSN: | 2692-9384 |
| Abstract: | Background: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is linked to strengths in creative problem-solving amongst school-aged children and adults. In contrast, autism (which frequently co-occurs with ADHD) is associated with lower generativity, and perseverative responses during problem-solving. Little is known about how ADHD and autism traits--or broader heritable autism and ADHD phenotypes--associate with problem-solving skills in early childhood. Methods: 129 UK 2- and 3-year-olds (exploratory dataset) and 74 Swedish 3-year-olds (confirmatory dataset) with and without a family history (FH) of ADHD and autism, completed a problem-solving task. Parents reported on their 3-year-olds' ADHD and autism traits using the Child Behaviour Checklist and Social Responsiveness Scale-2. FH group differences in problem-solving performance were tested using ANOVA (exploratory dataset, FH-autism and FH-ADHD as fixed factors) and t-test (confirmatory and combined datasets split by FH-ADHD). Linear regressions of problem-solving success on autism/ADHD traits were run in both samples. Results: Compared with peers with no FH-ADHD, children with FH-ADHD showed higher problem-solving success at 2 (partial [omega][superscript 2] = 0.106) and 3 years (partial [omega][superscript 2] = 0.045) in the exploratory dataset. In the confirmatory dataset, a FH-ADHD-and-autism group trended towards higher success scores compared with a no-FH-ADHD group (comprising FH-autism-only and no-FH ADHD-or-autism sub-groups) but scores were only significantly higher for children with FH-ADHD-and-autism when compared with children with no FH-ADHD-"or-autism" (g[subscript s] = 0.977). ADHD (but not autism) traits were positively associated with problem-solving performance in the exploratory ([beta] = 0.212, p = 0.031) and combined samples ([beta] = 0.173, p = 0.024). Effects were a consistent direction and magnitude, but not significant, in the confirmatory sample alone ([beta] = 0.201, p = 0.103). Conclusions: Considering a child's family history alongside their neurodivergent traits may help to identify their likely strengths, and how to access them: Children with ADHD traits and/or a family history of ADHD are likely to have an aptitude for generative problem-solving when presented with highly motivating, ecologically valid challenges. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1491400 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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| Abstract: | Background: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is linked to strengths in creative problem-solving amongst school-aged children and adults. In contrast, autism (which frequently co-occurs with ADHD) is associated with lower generativity, and perseverative responses during problem-solving. Little is known about how ADHD and autism traits--or broader heritable autism and ADHD phenotypes--associate with problem-solving skills in early childhood. Methods: 129 UK 2- and 3-year-olds (exploratory dataset) and 74 Swedish 3-year-olds (confirmatory dataset) with and without a family history (FH) of ADHD and autism, completed a problem-solving task. Parents reported on their 3-year-olds' ADHD and autism traits using the Child Behaviour Checklist and Social Responsiveness Scale-2. FH group differences in problem-solving performance were tested using ANOVA (exploratory dataset, FH-autism and FH-ADHD as fixed factors) and t-test (confirmatory and combined datasets split by FH-ADHD). Linear regressions of problem-solving success on autism/ADHD traits were run in both samples. Results: Compared with peers with no FH-ADHD, children with FH-ADHD showed higher problem-solving success at 2 (partial [omega][superscript 2] = 0.106) and 3 years (partial [omega][superscript 2] = 0.045) in the exploratory dataset. In the confirmatory dataset, a FH-ADHD-and-autism group trended towards higher success scores compared with a no-FH-ADHD group (comprising FH-autism-only and no-FH ADHD-or-autism sub-groups) but scores were only significantly higher for children with FH-ADHD-and-autism when compared with children with no FH-ADHD-"or-autism" (g[subscript s] = 0.977). ADHD (but not autism) traits were positively associated with problem-solving performance in the exploratory ([beta] = 0.212, p = 0.031) and combined samples ([beta] = 0.173, p = 0.024). Effects were a consistent direction and magnitude, but not significant, in the confirmatory sample alone ([beta] = 0.201, p = 0.103). Conclusions: Considering a child's family history alongside their neurodivergent traits may help to identify their likely strengths, and how to access them: Children with ADHD traits and/or a family history of ADHD are likely to have an aptitude for generative problem-solving when presented with highly motivating, ecologically valid challenges. |
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| ISSN: | 2692-9384 |
| DOI: | 10.1002/jcv2.70009 |
