Summary.The Attention: Distraction/Inhibition Excitation Scale (ADIECAS) is a measure of individual differences hitherto used with children with special needs. The present study shows that the ADIECAS retains adequate factor structure and internal consistency with children who do not have special needs. Factor analysis yielded three dimensions: Attention‐Distraction, Excitation‐Inhibition and Responsiveness to Consequences. These factors predicted reading age, the discrepancy between chronological and reading ages and whether or not the child had been referred for statement