Comparison of Teacher Suspicion of ADHD to Teacher, Primary Caretaker, and Blinded Ratings of ADHD Symptoms in First Grade Students.

This study examined the relation between teacher suspicion of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and teacher ratings on common behavior measures used to identify and diagnose ADHD. The children, urban, Midwestern, African-American first graders, (N=372) completed the Conners' Continuous Performance Test (CPT), an objective measure of attention. They were also evaluated for ADHD symptomatology by both a teacher and a primary caretaker using the Child Behavior Checklist and the Teacher Report Form and the Conners' Parent and Teacher Rating Scales. Teachers suspected 97 of the 372 children (26.1 percent) of ADHD. Results indicate that children suspected of ADHD by their teachers had significantly higher behavior ratings as measured by both teachers and primary caretakers. However, the CPT did not tend to support the teacher or caretaker ratings of attention problems or impulsivity. (Contains 10 references.) (DB) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.