Multi-Method Assessment of ADHD Characteristics in Preschool Children: Relations between Measures

Several forms of assessment tools, including behavioral rating scales and objective tests such as the Continuous Performance Test (CPT), can be used to measure inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive behaviors associated with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). However, research with school-age children has shown that the correlations between parent ratings, teacher ratings, and scores on objective measures of ADHD-characteristic behaviors are modest at best. In this study, we examined the relations between parent and teacher ratings of ADHD and CPT scores in a sample of 65 preschoolers ranging from 50 to 72 months of age. No significant associations between teacher and parent ratings of ADHD were found. Parent-ratings of both inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity accounted for variance in CPT omission errors but not CPT commission errors. Teacher ratings showed evidence of convergent and discriminant validity when entered simultaneously in a hierarchical regression. These tools may be measuring different aspects of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity.     

Long-Term Stability of Individual Differences in Sustained Attention in the Early Years

The goal of this longitudinal study was to explore whether early measures of attention and inattention would be predictive of later attentiveness and whether there was any evidence of stable individual differences in attentiveness. Both full-term and preterm children were observed at 1, 2, and 3.5 years in free play and in more structured situations. For the group as a whole, and for full-terms separately, quantitative measures of inattention at 2 years were predictive of comparable measures at 3.5 years. For preterms separately, quantitative measures of inattention at 1 year were predictive of both behavior and the mothers' rating on the Conners Hyperactivity subscale at 3.5 years. Global, qualitative ratings of attentiveness at 1 and 2 years were predictive of mothers' ratings on the Conners at 3.5 years for the group as a whole and for full-terms separately. For full-terms only, the global ratings of attentiveness at 1 and 2 years were also predictive of 3.5-year quantitative measures of behavior. These data provide an encouraging base for further investigation of early individual differences in attentiveness and of possible early precursors of later attention deficits.     

Effect of attention therapy on reading comprehension

This study quantified the influence of visual attention therapy on the reading comprehension of Grade 6 children with moderate reading disabilities (RD) in the absence of specific reading remediation. Thirty students with below-average reading scores were identified using standardized reading comprehension tests. Fifteen children were placed randomly in the experimental group and 15 in the control group. The Attention Battery of the Cognitive Assessment System was administered to all participants. The experimental group received 12 one-hour sessions of individually monitored, computer-based attention therapy programs; the control group received no therapy during their 12-week period. Each group was retested on attention and reading comprehension measures. In order to stimulate selective and sustained visual attention, the vision therapy stressed various aspects of arousal, activation, and vigilance. At the completion of attention therapy, the mean standard attention and reading comprehension scores of the experimental group had improved significantly. The control group, however, showed no significant improvement in reading comprehension scores after 12 weeks. Although uncertainties still exist, this investigation supports the notion that visual attention is malleable and that attention therapy has a significant effect on reading comprehension in this often neglected population.     

Annual Index Volume 8

The objective of this paper is to report the development and use of an observation checklist to identify typically developing children with behavioural manifestations associated with inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. This measure is termed the Scope Classroom Observation Checklist (SCOC). The SCOC was developed, assessed for reliability using an independent observer and teacher ratings, and administered to a sample of 157 mainstream schoolchildren. The SCOC revealed a normal distribution of scores on the checklist, and the top and bottom quartiles of this distribution were found, as would be expected, to differ significantly on SCOC score. The SCOC had good inter‐observer reliability and a high rate of concordance with teacher ratings of attentional difficulties. The SCOC has emerged as a reliable measure that could prove to be a useful tool in a battery of screening measures to identify mainstream schoolchildren with difficulties characterised by inattention and hyperactivity‐impulsivity.     

Validity of the diagnostic category of attention deficit disorder without hyperactivity: a review of the literature

The validity of the diagnostic category of Attention Deficit Disorder Without Hyperactivity (ADD/WO) has been the subject of debate since it was first introduced in DSM-III. The differentiation of two syndromes of ADD is supported by factor analytic studies that indicate two dimensions of maladjustment: (1) inattention and disorganization, and (2) motor hyperactivity and impulsive responding. Cluster analyses of these two dimensions have yielded two profiles of deviance that correspond to the DSM-III subtypes. Furthermore, clinic-referred children who meet DSM-III criteria for ADD/WO have been shown to exhibit less serious conduct problems, are less impulsive, are more likely to be characterized as sluggish and drowsy, are less rejected by peers but more socially withdrawn, and are more likely to exhibit depressed mood and symptoms of anxiety disorder than children with Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity (ADD/H).     

Development and Initial Validation of the Narcissistic Personality Questionnaire for Children: A preliminary investigation using school‐based Asian samples

The Narcissistic Personality Questionnaire for Children (NPQC) is a brief self‐report scale for measuring narcissism in children. In Study 1, a factor analysis on 370 children’s NPQC scores revealed four factors that were labeled superiority, exploitativeness, self‐absorption, and leadership. Study 2 established convergent and discriminant validities of the NPQC. NPQC scores were positively correlated with need for power/dominance, self‐esteem, aggression, and need for achievement, and unrelated to life satisfaction, as expected. Further support for the validity of the NPQC was obtained when findings were consistent with attachment theory’s interpretation of narcissistic children’s self‐perceptions. Study 3 investigated the temporal stability of scores. Results from Studies 1 and 3 show the NPQC to be an internally consistent measure (Cronbach alpha = .81) and to have adequate test–retest reliability (r = .81). Implications for the education of aggressive and narcissistic children are discussed.     

Separating genuine cases of reading disability from reading deficits caused by predominantly inattentive ADHD behavior

Conventional methods of differentiating reading disability (RD) caused by deficits in decoding skills or comprehension from poor reading performance caused by inconsistent attention associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have produced equivocal results. This study presents a model of differential diagnosis of attentional problems and RD that differs from these conventional approaches. The new diagnostic procedure uses intraindividual differences seen in the performance of at-risk learners on tasks related to reading that vary in their sensitivity to the sustained attention required for successful performance. The hypothesis is that children with inconsistent attention would perform more poorly on tests that require sustained attention, such as listening comprehension, than on tests that are more tolerant of inattention, such as reading comprehension. Such differences would not be seen in the test scores of children who have only RD, because their performance is determined more by the difficulty level of the reading tests than by the degree of sensitivity of the task to attention. The validity of this new model was evaluated by determining the capability of the differences seen in the scores of tests that differ in their sensitivity to sustained attention to predict the degree of inconsistency in sustained attention as measured by a continuous performance test. The data obtained from 39 children who are at risk for RD suggest that this is a viable model.     

The effects of relaxation and biofeedback on attention to task and impulsivity among male hyperactive children

This study examined the effects of relaxation training and biofeedback on attention to task and on impulsivity as measured by the Matching Familiar Figures Test (MFFT) among 36 hyperactive male children. Subjects who were identified through teacher ratings on the abbreviated Conners’ Behavior Rating Scale were randomly assigned to treatment and control groups. The experimental treatment consisted of three sessions (each session consisting of 2 phases) of relaxation training and biofeedback. There were no significant differences on all pretest measures (baseline electromyographic readings, pretest error on attention task, and pretest latency). However, differences on all these measures became statistically significant (p < .01) with the treatment group improving attention to task scores and decreasing impulsivity scores. When all pretest data, posttest error, student's age and teacher's rating were controlled for, analysis of covariance results confirmed the significant differences between both groups. It was concluded that relaxation training and biofeedback warrants inclusion in programs designed for hyperactive male children.     

Associations between inattention,hyperactivity and pre-reading skills before and after formal reading instruction begins

Concurrent associations between teacher ratings of inattention, hyperactivity and pre-reading skills were examined in 64 pre-schoolers who had not commenced formal reading instruction and 136 school entrants who were in the first weeks of reading instruction. Both samples of children completed measures of pre-reading skills, namely phonological awareness, phonological memory, rapid naming, and letter name knowledge, as well as a measure of verbal ability. School entrants also completed measures of letter sound knowledge and beginning word identification skills. Teachers completed rating scales of inattention and hyperactivity. In the preschool sample, teacher-rated inattention and hyperactivity were not correlated with measures of children’s phonological processing but were correlated with letter name knowledge. In comparison, inattention, but not hyperactivity, was independently related to all measures of school entrants’ phonological processing and alphabet knowledge and their knowledge of high frequency words. Structural equation modelling on the school entrant sample revealed that the relationship between inattention and beginning word identification was mediated by pre-reading skills, suggesting that attention problems may compromise reading development during the earliest stages of learning to read through their impact on pre-reading skills. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for the consideration of inattention in the design of effective and engaging early childhood learning environments.     

Theory of mind,attention, and executive function in kindergarten boys

The present study explored the relationship between theory of mind (ToM), attention, and executive function in 66 kindergarten boys drawn from four rural school districts. Three stories designed to test understanding of first and second order mental states were administered. Executive function and attention were assessed, respectively, by scores on the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) and the Behavior Assessment Scales for Children, Second Edition (BASC‐2). Analyses indicated that children identified by teachers as evidencing attention difficulties scored lower on false belief measures and were more likely to be identified as exhibiting behavioral difficulties associated with executive dysfunction than children identified as evidencing fewer attention difficulties. Attention and executive function were predictive of total ToM scores.     

Preschool twin study of the relation between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and prereading skills

Numerous studies have examined the etiology of the association between reading difficulties and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in school-age children, but little is known about the relation between prereading skills and ADHD behaviors prior to the beginning of formal reading instruction. A population-based sample of 809 pairs of preschool twins completed an extensive battery of prereading measures, and the parent of each twin completed an ADHD rating scale. Phenotypic analyses revealed small but significant correlations between DSM-IV inattention ratings and six prereading composite measures, whereas hyperactivity–impulsivity symptoms were not independently associated with any of the prereading scores. Multivariate twin analyses indicated that virtually all of the phenotypic correlation between inattention and prereading performance is attributable to common genetic influences, consistent with results obtained in studies of older twins. Although additional research is needed to test alternative causal models in children younger than five years old, these results are most consistent with the hypothesis that reading difficulties and inattention symptoms are attributable to common genetic influences.     

An investigation of the usefulness of the Conner’s Continuous Performance Test II in the assessment of inattention and hyperactivity in the school

The Conners’ Continuous Performance Test (CCPT) is one of the most commonly used laboratory tests in the assessment of inattention and hyperactivity in children. Research suggests that the CCPT II has limited use in the identification of children’s inattention and hyperactivity in the school. Nonetheless, its usefulness to assess school-based inattention and hyperactivity has been examined by using only a small number of its performance measures. The purpose of the present study was to use the whole range of the performance measures included in the CCPT II to assess its potential to detect problems of attention and hyperactivity in the school setting. The CCPT II was administered to a selective sample (n?=?120) of 7-year-old primary school children with elevated rates of behaviour problems and reading difficulty. The Inattention and Hyperactivity subscales of the Conner’s Teacher Rating Scale – 28 (CTRS-28) were used to assess children’s problems of attention and hyperactivity in the school. Correlational analysis showed that the relationship between the CCPT II measures and children’s inattention and hyperactivity was relatively low (r range ?.02 to .38). Hierarchical regression analysis demonstrated that only three out of the 13 measures included in the CCPT II made a small contribution to the prediction of children’s inattention and hyperactivity scores. Of these measures, only one had not been previously used to examine the suitability of the CCPT II to assess inattention and hyperactivity in the school. The findings suggest that the use of the whole range of the CPPT II measures improves only slightly the tests capacity to identify inattention and hyperactivity in the school.     

Examining Trait × Method Interactions Using Mixture Distribution Multitrait–Multimethod Models

Multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) analyses are used in psychology to assess convergent and discriminant validity and to study method effects. Most current MTMM approaches assume that measures have equal convergent and discriminant validity across the entire range of trait values and thus do not account for potential trait × method interactions. A novel approach is presented that allows analyzing trait × method interactions using factor mixture modeling. The new MTMM mixture model allows identifying latent classes of individuals who differ with respect to convergent and discriminant validity. The new approach was applied to mother’s and father’s ratings of children’s attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms (N = 618). Results revealed four latent classes: one with no symptom levels, two with low symptom levels, and one with moderate symptom levels. Three classes showed evidence for convergent and discriminant validity, whereas a low symptom class lacked convergent validity for ratings of inattention.

     

ESTIMATING THE RELIABILITY, VALIDITY, AND INVALIDITY OF ESSAY RATINGS

In an essay rating study multiple ratings may be obtained by having different raters judge essays or by having the same rater(s) repeat the judging of essays. An important question in the analysis of essay ratings is whether multiple ratings, however obtained, may be assumed to represent the same true scores. When different raters judge the same essays only once, it is impossible to answer this question. In this study 16 raters judged 105 essays on two occasions; hence, it was possible to test assumptions about true scores within the framework of linear structural equation models. It emerged that the ratings of a given rater on the two occasions represented the same true scores. However, the ratings of different raters did not represent the same true scores. The estimated intercorrelations of the true scores of different raters ranged from .415 to .910. Parameters of the best fitting model were used to compute coefficients of reliability, validity, and invalidity. The implications of these coefficients are discussed.     

Occurrence and pattern of impaired reading and written language in children with attention deficit disorders

The purpose of this study was to investigate the occurrence and severity of reading, spelling, and written language impairment in children clinically referred for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Specific questions involved 1) whether ADD subgroups with and without hyperactivity differ in reading, spelling, and written language achievement, 2) whether age and gender interact with ADD sub-group class to affect reading/written language achievement, and 3) whether prevalence of impaired reading/written language in these subgroups is consistent with previous reports in heterogeneous samples. Subjects were 115 ADD children aged 6-12 who were subclassified as ADD + H(72 percent) and ADD - H(28 percent) by objective teacher ratings. Dependent measures included tests of single word recognition and vocabulary, word attack, contextual comprehension, written spelling, written sentence construction, and writing fluency, in addition to a structured behavioral observation, during which aspects of inattention and motor activity were coded. A large fraction of this sample met public school LD criteria (54 percent), and achievement on most measures was globally poorer than the respective test normative groups. The ADD + H subgroup showed significantly poorer word attack skills, while the subgroups did not significantly differ from each other on other reading/written language measures. However, 17 percent of the total ADD sample were ≥ 1.5 SD below the mean in total reading achievement, and 29 percent were ≥ 1.5 SD below the mean on measures of written spelling/language. Gender X age interactions, indicating poorer performance in the middle age group of females, were likely related to lower IQ.     

Examining Parent and Teacher Perceptions of Behaviors Exhibited by Gifted Students Referred for ADHD Diagnosis Using the Conners 3 (An Exploratory Study)

This exploratory study considered the perceptions of parents and teachers regarding behaviors exhibited by gifted students who may have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by examining their responses to the Conners 3 behavior rating scale. Statistical analysis revealed average scores in the ratings of parents and teachers in the areas of inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity, executive functioning, and learning problems. Parent and teacher ratings of these students were not significantly correlated nor were there significant differences between parents and teachers on ratings of students. The need for further examination of the psychometric properties and appropriate use of the Conners 3 in diagnosis of twice-exceptional students, the need for normative data on gifted populations for the Conners 3, and a greater understanding of the differential display of ADHD in the gifted population were suggested.     

《走向优质——中国幼儿园教育质量评价标准》的测量学属性分析——基于我国100所幼儿园与1670名儿童的测评数据

幼儿园教育质量评价标准的编制具有重要的理论与实践意义。中国学前教育研究会组建了一个包含了来自国内6所高校的专家的跨学科研究团队,遵循严谨的测量学研制程序,经过两年扎实的研究,编制了《走向优质——中国幼儿园教育质量评价标准》(简称《优质标准》)。为验证该标准的有效性,课题组采用分层抽样的方法,在位于我国不同区域的5个省区抽取了不同性质与等级的城乡幼儿园共计100所,采用《优质标准》进行质量评价,同时从300个样本班级中随机抽取了1670名儿童(男女各半),对其语言、数学认知、情感社会性发展水平进行测评。基于幼儿园教育质量和儿童发展水平测评数据,课题组对《优质标准》进行了信效度分析。结果显示,《优质标准》总体及其各领域内部一致性均达到较高水平;绝大部分项目具有良好的区分度;《优质标准》具有良好的结构效度,包含两个潜在的质量因子,分别是课程教学与学习环境、管理支持与师资保障;幼儿园教育质量评价结果与儿童发展水平测评结果总体上呈显著相关,不同质量领域与儿童不同发展领域之间的相关性存在一定差异。综合以上证据表明,《优质标准》是适用于我国幼儿园教育情境的有效评估工具,其评价结果是可靠、可信的。     

Validity of the children's orientation to book reading rating scale

The present study investigates the validity of a 4‐point rating scale used to measure the level of preschool children's orientation to literacy during shared book reading. Validity was explored by (a) comparing the children's level of literacy orientation as measured with the Children's Orientation to Book Reading Rating Scale (COB) with a teacher's rating of a child's level of attention and effortful control on the Children's Behaviour Questionnaire (CBQ), and (b) computing the predictive validity of a child's COB rating with overall levels of emergent literacy at the end of the preschool school year. This study involved 46 preschool children from low‐income backgrounds; children's literacy orientation was rated during a group teacher‐led book reading. Children's ratings of literacy orientation during shared book reading using the global 4‐point COB scale were significantly correlated with teacher ratings of a child's attention and effortful control as measured on the CBQ. Hierarchical regression results indicated children's literacy orientation significantly predicted children's end‐of‐year alphabet knowledge and overall emergent reading skills above and beyond the variance contributed by children's language skills and family income. The validity of a global rating for indexing children's level of literacy orientation was supported. Educational implications and recommendations for the COB as a component of early literacy assessment are discussed.     

Validation of a touch screen tablet assessment of early literacy skills and a comparison with a traditional paper-based assessment

ABSTRACT

Touch screen tablets are being increasingly used in schools for learning and assessment. However, the validity and reliability of assessments delivered via tablets are largely unknown. The present study tested the psychometric properties of a tablet-based app designed to measure early literacy skills. Tablet-based tests were also compared with traditional paper-based tests. Children aged 2–6 years (N?=?99) completed receptive tests delivered via a tablet for letter, word, and numeral skills. The same skills were tested with a traditional paper-based test that used an expressive response format. Children (n?=?35) were post-tested 8 weeks later to examine the stability of test scores over time. The tablet test scores showed high internal consistency (all α’s?>?.94), acceptable test-retest reliability (ICC range?=?.39–.89), and were correlated with child age, family SES, and home literacy teaching to indicate good predictive validity. The agreement between scores for the tablet and traditional tests was high (ICC range?=?.81–.94). The tablet tests provides valid and reliable measures of children’s early literacy skills. The strong psychometric properties and ease of use suggests that tablet-based tests of literacy skills have the potential to improve assessment practices for research purposes and classroom use.     

Relations among student attention behaviors, teacher practices, and beginning word reading skill

The role of student attention for predicting kindergarten word reading was investigated among 432 students. Using Strengths and Weaknesses of ADHD Symptoms and Normal Behavior Rating Scale behavior rating scores, the authors conducted an exploratory factor analysis, which yielded three distinct factors that reflected selective attention. In this study, the authors focused on the role of one of these factors, which they labeled attention-memory, for predicting reading performance. Teacher ratings of attention-memory predicted word reading above and beyond the contribution of phonological awareness and vocabulary knowledge. In addition, the relations between four teacher practices and attention ratings for predicting reading performance were examined. Using hierarchical linear modeling, the authors found significant interactions between student attention and teacher practices observed during literacy instruction. In general, as ratings of attention improved, better kindergarten word reading performance was associated with high levels of classroom behavior management. However, better word reading performance was not associated with high levels of teacher task orienting. A significant three-way interaction was also found among attention, individualized instruction, and teacher task redirections. The role of regulating kindergarten student attention to support beginning word reading skill development is discussed.