Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
and learning disabilities (LD) are most frequently associated
with childhood. This, of course, is because a child's
job is to sit in a classroom, pay attention, and learn,
and these are disorders that interfere with completing
that job. Because these disorders are presumed due to brain
dysfunction, it should be no surprise that both LD and
ADHD continue to exert effects as children grow, go on
to postsecondary education, and enter the job market. That
is, developmental learning disorders, including LD and
ADHD, do not “go away” when one becomes an
adult. Several research groups have followed children with
LD or ADHD into adulthood and have shown the persistence
of symptoms and cognitive deficits, along with the toll
that these difficulties take on psychosocial functioning,
later academic performance, and vocational advancement.