Date of Award

Spring 6-20-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology (PhD)

Department

Clinical Psychology

First Advisor/Committee Member

Jenny Lee Vaydich, Ph.D.

Second Advisor/Committee Member

Beverly J. Wilson, Ph.D.

Third Advisor/Committee Member

Christen Manangan, Ph.D.

Abstract

Race is a marginalized identity linked to significant achievement gaps for Black and Latino students in the USA (de Bray et al., 2019). These students experience higher rates of exclusionary school discipline (ESD) than White and Asian peers (Aud et al., 2010; de Bray et al., 2019), with suspensions correlating to lower academic performance (Del Toro & Wang, 2022; Wang et al., 2023; Owens & Hinshaw, 2016). Additionally, developmental disabilities like ADHD intersect with these issues; despite narrowing racial disparities in diagnoses (Cénat et al., 2022; Fairman et al., 2020), access to treatment remains uneven (Baglivio et al., 2017; Coker et al., 2016), and teacher perceptions may be biased. Teachers often label behaviors of Black and Latino students as oppositional (Fadus et al., 2020), leading to disproportionate disciplinary actions that hinder academic progress (Cameron & Sheppard, 2006; Cribb Fabersunne et al., 2023).

This study examines whether race/ethnicity predicts teacher-reported externalizing behaviors and disciplinary actions post-ADHD diagnosis. Data are sourced from the TIDAL dataset, a longitudinal NIMH-funded study involving adolescents with ADHD in the STAND intervention, an 8–10 week group therapy focused on executive function and behavior regulation. We used multilevel modeling to assess whether race/ethnicity influenced changes in externalizing behavior ratings and suspensions over time and their impact on GPA. Participants averaged 13.4 years, with 27.5% female (n = 166) and 72.5% male (n = 437). The sample (n = 578) included 77% Hispanic/Latino (n = 444), 16% African American (n = 90), 6% White Non-Hispanic (n = 34), Asian .003% (n = 2), and Mixed Race 1.4% (n = 8). Findings show that Black and Hispanic students consistently received lower GPAs than White students over time, even after controlling for intervention participation. While teacher evaluations of externalizing behavior showed no significant racial differences, Black students faced more suspensions. Higher suspension rates and increased externalizing behavior ratings independently predicted reduced academic achievement. The STAND intervention did not mitigate these effects. These results suggest that the intersection of race and disability continues to affect academic outcomes for youth with ADHD, even after diagnosis and intervention, reflecting the lasting influence of systemic bias in education.

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