Intellectual ability and performance of hyperactive children.

Intelligence, school achievement, and perceptual-motor performance were studied in 32 children with the hyperactive child syndrome, behaviorally defined, and 34 matched controls. Patients had significantly lower WISC IQs, but scores on school achievement and perceptual-motor tests did not differ from those of controls when adjusted for WISC Full-Scale IQ. Results indicate that hyperactive children have an intellectual as well as behavioral handicap, but that they do learn schoolwork at the rate normal for their level of intelligence.