The results of a comparative study of hyperactive and specific-reading-disabled children and their families are presented. The cognitive profiles of the two types of index cases reveal substantial differences. The data suggest that the learning problems frequently noted in hyperactive children are probably more similar to those found in a group which Yule (1972) calls “backward readers” than to those of the specific-reading-disabled children. Further differences between the two groups of index cases were noted in family background variables, such as familial incidence of psychopathology and criminal behavior, family history of hyperactivity, and family history of reading disability.
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