The Children’s Attention Project: a community-based longitudinal study of children with ADHD and non-ADHD controls

The sample for this prospective longitudinal study is being recruited across 43 socio-economically diverse primary schools across Melbourne, Australia. All children in Grade 1, the second year of formal schooling (6–8 years), are screened for ADHD symptoms using independent parent and teacher reports on the Conners’ 3 ADHD index (~N？=？5260). Children screening positive for ADHD by both parent and teacher report, and a matched sample (gender, school) screening negative, are invited to participate in the longitudinal study. At baseline this involves parent completion of the NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children IV (DISC-IV) to confirm likely ADHD diagnostic status and identify other mental health difficulties, direct child assessments (cognitive, academic, language and executive functioning; height and weight) and questionnaires for parents and teachers assessing outcomes, as well as a broad range of risk and protective factors (child, parent/family, teacher/school, and socio-economic factors). Families will be initially followed up for 3 years.This study is the first Australian longitudinal study of children with ADHD and one of the first community-based longitudinal studies of diagnostically confirmed children with ADHD. The study’s examination of a broad range of risk and protective factors and ADHD-related outcomes has the potential to inform novel strategies for intervention and prevention.Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurodevelopmental disorder, affecting approximately 5% of children worldwide [1]. It is now the most common reason for paediatrician presentations in Australia, accounting for 18% of general consultations [2]. Children with ADHD exhibit developmentally inappropriate levels of inattention, hyperactivity and/or impulsivity which result in a range of impairments in social, educational, and family functioning [3]. ADHD can be categorised according to three subtypes: ADHD combined type (ADHD-C); ADHD predo