The effects of social skills curricula: Now you see them, now you don't.

Discusses the generalization effects of 7 commercially available student social-skills training (SST) curricula. A table listing strategy, curricula, S characteristics, and results is given. Maintenance of improved behavior was seen as least successful when the "train and hope" strategy was used. The combination of SST and alteration of consequences in the classroom led to the most significant maintenance of results. The most effective programs were those that combined a variety of techniques. Improvement of behavior was obtained more often with withdrawn students than with aggressive students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Teacher ratings of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms: Factor structure and normative data.

Behavior rating scales are a primary method for screening and identifying children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The factorial structure and normative data of a teacher rating scale containing the 18 symptoms of ADHD were examined in this study. Factor analyses and assessment of differences in ADHD ratings across sex, age, and ethnic group were conducted with 4,009 children and adolescents who attended kindergarten through 12th grade in 31 U.S. school districts. Two factors (inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity) were derived, and normative data for a nationally representative sample were presented. Boys, younger children, and African Americans received higher ratings of ADHD symptoms. Limitations of this investigation and potential uses of this scale in clinical practice and research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comprehensive evaluation of attention deficit disorder with and without hyperactivity as defined by research criteria.

Children with attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity (ADD+H; N?=?48) were compared with those without hyperactivity (ADD-H; N?=?42), as well as with learning disabled and control children, on an extensive battery of interviews, behavior ratings, tests, and direct observations. ADD+H children had more externalizing and internalizing symptoms by parent and teacher report; were more off task during vigilance testing; and had more substance abuse, ADD+H, and aggression among their relatives than did the other groups. ADD-H children were more daydreamy and lethargic by teacher report, more impaired in perceptual–motor speed, and had more anxiety disorders among their relatives than did ADD+H children. Results indicate that these 2 types of ADD may be separate, distinct childhood disorders than subtypes of a common attention deficit. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evaluating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder using multiple informants: The incremental utility of combining teacher with parent reports.

In a sample of students referred to a school-based Pupil Assistance Committee, the Inattention and Hyperactivity–Impulsivity factors of the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Rating Scale-IV were used to predict diagnostic status, determined by a parent-reported diagnostic interview and teacher rating scale. Results of logistic regression and receiver operating curve analyses indicated that the Inattention and Hyperactivity–Impulsivity factors differentiated students with ADHD from controls and distinguished children with different ADHD subtypes. Symptom utility estimates demonstrated that a single informant approach was best suited for ruling out ADHD, whereas a combined informant method was optimal for positively diagnosing this disorder. Methods for determining the incremental utility of combining teacher with parent reports were demonstrated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Child Psychopharmacology: How School Psychologists Can Contribute to Effective Outcomes.

Psychopharmacological treatments have been used with increased frequency to treat a variety of internalizing and externalizing disorders in children. Given the potential impact that medication has on children's school performance, school psychologists should be involved in helping physicians and families make effective decisions by assisting with (a) diagnostic decision-making and determining the need for medication; (b) evaluating medication effects and determining optimal dosage; and (c) integrating medical, psychosocial, and educational interventions. Potential barriers to the adoption of these roles are discussed as well as clinical, ethical, training, and legal implications. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

How to assess attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder within school settings.

Describes a 4-stage model for the school-based assessment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder that includes screening techniques, multimethod assessment, interpretation of results, and the development of a treatment plan. A behavioral assessment approach is followed by utilizing interviews with the child's parents and teachers, questionnaires completed by parents and teachers, direct observations of behavior, and academic performance data. The goals of the evaluation process are to establish the child's diagnostic status and to translate assessment data into a potentially successful intervention plan. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Parent training for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: its impact on parent functioning

This study examined changes in parent functioning resulting from parental participation in a behavioral parent training (PT) program specifically designed for school-aged children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Relative to wait list controls, subjects who completed the nine-session PT program showed significant posttreatment gains in both child and parent functioning, which were maintained 2 months after treatment. In particular, there were PT-induced reductions in parenting stress and increases in parenting self-esteem, which accompanied parent-reported improvements in the overall severity of their child's ADHD symptoms. In addition to their statistical importance, these findings are discussed in terms of their clinical significance, utilizing methods developed by Jacobson and Truax (1991).     

Task engagement and mathematics performance in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: Effects of supplemental computer instruction.

Examined the effects of using software with a game format (as a supplement to teacher instruction) to improve math performance of 3 male 4th- to 6th-grade students with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Following baseline (observation under normal classroom conditions), the math software was introduced sequentially using a multiple baseline design across participants. Observational data were collected during the baseline and experimental conditions along with a set of curriculum-based math probes, which were used throughout the study. The hypothesis that math software with a game format would improve the academic performance and increase attention of all participants was partially supported. Implications for practice and further research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparing classroom and clinic measures of attention deficit disorder: Differential, idiosyncratic, and dose-response effects of methylphenidate.

Examined the utility of clinic-based testing with the Continuous Performance Test (CPT) and classroom observations in detecting dose-related behavioral changes in 14 6–10 yr olds with attention deficit disorder. Ss participated in a double-blind, placebo-control, within-S crossover design in which each S received 3 doses of methylphenidate (5, 10, 15 mg) in a randomly assigned sequence. A 1-way multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) with repeated measures demonstrated a highly significant effect on the 6 dependent measures. A series of 1-way analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs) with repeated measures showed significant medication effects on classroom percentage of on-task behavior, percentage of assignments completed, percentage of accurate assignments, CPT omission and commission errors, and scores on an abbreviated Conners Teacher Rating Scale. Trend analyses revealed a significant quadratic relationship between the primary measures of attention and dose. Fixed-dose and milligram/kilogram plots were drawn and compared for a random subset of Ss to illustrate the idiosyncratic and task-specific behavior exhibited across doses. (48 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Teacher ratings of ADHD symptoms in ethnic minority students: Bias or behavioral difference?

Disproportionate placement of African American and Hispanic students into disability and special education categories may result from true behavioral and cognitive differences, bias in assessment and referral, or some combination of the two. Studies of commonly used ADHD rating scales suggest teacher bias may contribute to placement discrepancies. This investigation compared teacher ratings of ADHD symptoms on the Conner's Teacher Rating Scale-Revised Long Version (CTRS-R:L; Conners, 1997) and the ADHD-IV: School Version (DuPaul, Power, Anastopoulous, & Reid, 1998), with objective classroom observations from the Behavioral Observation of Students in Schools code (BOSS; Shapiro, 2003). Participants were first through fourth grade students (N = 172; 120 male) classified as Caucasian (n = 112) or ethnic minority (17 African American, 38 Hispanic, 5 African American and Hispanic). Contrary to hypothesis, results showed teacher ratings of ethnic minority students were more consistent with direct observation data than were ratings of Caucasian students. Findings suggest teacher ratings of ethnic minority students may more accurately reflect true behavioral levels. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)