About the project
Children with dyslexia struggle with quick and accurate reading, children with dyscalculia with arithmetic and math, and children with ADHD with attentional difficulties and hyperactivity. Children with these developmental disorders tend to do less well in school and tend to go on to obtain a lower final degree.
Low educational attainment is a major risk factor for poor health and wealth. It is known that learning difficulties (like dyslexia and dyscalculia) and ADHD run in families. That is, children are at increased risk if one of their parents has such a disorder. As such, this causes an intergenerational cycle of educational disadvantage.
Objectives
In the project GenEd, we aim to unravel why learning difficulties and ADHD run in families. The environmental side of learning difficulties and ADHD have been studied extensively in educational and pedagogical sciences, but so far, herein little attention has been paid to the genetic side.
Methods
In GenEd, we will bring together expertise, data, and methods from special educational needs, public health, and behavioural genetics. We will study large cohorts of children, including information from parents, teachers, and school grade records. The genetics side will be studied using family data (e.g., twins) and using DNA data.
Results
By including genetics, the influence of the environment (parents and school) can be revealed. This insight into which environmental factors truly matter for the mitigation of learning difficulties and ADHD will inform how we can best support these children.
Financing
The project is funded by the Norwegian Research Council. Project number 335634.
Cooperation
Elsje van Bergen ved Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Fartein Ask Torvik ved Folkehelseinstituttet.
