New research from the University of Montreal shows that inattention, rather than hyperactivity, is the most important indicator when it comes to completing high school.
Canadian researchers reviewed data collected from the parents and teachers of 2,000 children over a period of almost twenty years.
Hyperactivity was identified by behavior such as restlessness, running around, squirming and being fidgety, and researchers found that only 29 percent of children with attention problems finished high school, compared to 89 percent of children without this problem.
"In the school system, children who have attention difficulties are often forgotten because, unlike hyperactive kids, they don’t disturb the class," said Dr. Sylvana Côte, study co-author. "However, we know that we can train children to pay attention through appropriate activities, and that can help encourage success at school."
Currently, mental health experts have begun to debate whether or not to separate the problems of hyperactivity and inattention in the next edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).
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