Exploring the Gender Gap in Referrals for Children With ADHD and Other Disruptive Behavior Disorders

• Published in: Journal of attention disorders Vol. 16; no. 2; pp. 101 - 108
• Main Authors: Coles, Erika K., Slavec, Janine, Bernstein, Melissa, Baroni, Elizabeth
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01-02-2012
• Subjects: Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders - diagnosis; Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders - psychology; Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; Attention Span; Behavior Disorders; Behavior Modification; Child; Child Behavior; Children; Elementary Schools; Faculty; Female; Females; Gender Bias; Humans; Hyperactivity; Maine; Male; Males; Middle Schools; Rating Scales; Referral; Referral and Consultation; Schools; Sex Characteristics; Sex Factors; Student Behavior; Symptoms (Individual Disorders); Teacher Attitudes; Vignettes; Maine; ADHD; classroom impairment; gender differences; teacher referral
• ISSN: 1087-0547; 1557-1246
• DOI: 10.1177/1087054710381481

Objective: The current study examined the impact of the gender of children with ADHD on teachers’ perceptions toward inattentive, hyperactive, or oppositional behaviors, and how these perceptions relate to teachers’ ratings of children’s impairment and referral recommendations. Method: Teachers read eight vignettes depicting boys and girls with different subtypes of ADHD, as well as one depicting comorbidity (ADHD + ODD). Teachers then completed measures of impairment, and responded to questions about what services they would likely refer for the child and why. Results: Teachers rated girls as being significantly more impaired and more in need of services than boys. Regardless of gender, teachers overwhelmingly reported preferring the use of behavior modification for the described child. Also, children who were described with symptoms of ADHD-predominately inattentive subtype were rated as being the least impaired, while girls described as hyperactive and impulsive were rated by teachers as being the most impaired. Conclusion: The current study adds to previous literature on gender bias in ADHD referrals by providing evidence for the differential referral of ADHD boys and girls to treatment based on presentation of symptoms.