This study assessed the test-taking skills of 776 high school students, 35 of whom were diagnosed with learning disabilities (LD). Students completed a computerized battery of timed reading tests as well as scales that assess test anxiety and test-taking perceptions. Students with LD obtained lower scores than the nondisabled group on all of the reading tasks (speed, comprehension, vocabulary, and decoding), spent more time reviewing comprehension questions, and were less active in looking for answers in the passages. Both groups favored the same comprehension strategy of reading the entire passage and then answering questions. The groups did not differ in their levels of test anxiety or confidence in taking tests under timed conditions. Vocabulary score best discriminated between groups and best predicted reading comprehension performance, suggesting a potential target for intervention.

OBJECTIVE:To assess the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for managing adolescent ADHD.METHOD:A total of 68 adolescents with ADHD and associated psychiatric comorbidities completed a manualized CBT treatment protocol. The intervention used in the study was a downward extension of the Safren et al. program for adults with ADHD who have symptoms unresolved by medication. Outcome variables consisted of narrow band (ADHD) and broadband (e.g., mood, anxiety, conduct) symptom measures (Behavior Assessment System for Children-2nd edition and ADHD-Rating Scales) as well as functioning measures (parent/teacher ratings and several ecologically real-world measures).RESULTS:Treatment effects emerged on the medication dosage, parent rating of pharmacotherapy adherence, adolescent self-report of personal adjustment (e.g., self-esteem), parent and teacher ratings of inattentive symptoms, school attendance, school tardiness, parent report of peer, family and academic functioning and teacher report of adolescent relationship with teacher, academic progress, and adolescent self-esteem. Adolescents with ADHD with oppositional defiant disorder were rated by parents and teachers as benefiting less from the CBT intervention. Adolescents with ADHD and comorbid anxiety/depression were rated by parents and teachers as benefiting more from the CBT intervention.CONCLUSION:A downward extension of an empirically validated adult ADHD CBT protocol can benefit some adolescents with ADHD.

College students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often request and receive extended time to complete high-stakes exams and classroom tests. This study examined the performances and behaviors of college students on computerized simulations of high-stakes exams. Thirty-five college students with ADHD were compared to 185 typical peers on measures of reading decoding, speed, vocabulary, comprehension, test strategies, time management, and test anxiety. Results indicated no differences between students with and without ADHD on various reading (decoding, speed, vocabulary, and comprehension) and test-taking variables (time utilization, navigation style, or strategy use), yet significant differences were present regarding their perceptions of, and anxiety during, test taking. It appears that students with ADHD perform similarly to peers on timed reading tests, although they think they perform less well and worry more about their performance.

Increasing numbers of students with learning disability and attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnoses are applying for accommodations in postsecondary education and employment settings. However, students' documentation of these conditions is often substandard. One possible reason for this is that clinicians have failed to apply proper criteria when determining disability status. We surveyed 119 clinicians who diagnosed these conditions in students applying for accommodations to determine clinician levels of knowledge about appropriate diagnostic and legal standards. We found weak clinician knowledge on certain key issues, including the meaning of functional impairment and understanding of the different laws governing academic accommodation of children versus adults. The average respondent's score on a 30-item true/false questionnaire was only 69% correct. Implications of these results for practice and future research are discussed.

Objective: The authors examined the test-taking performance of high school students with ( n = 38) and without ( n = 746) ADHD. Method: Students were assessed via an online battery of tests (TestTracker) including reading speed, decoding, vocabulary, comprehension, effort, test anxiety, and time and strategy usage. Results: Students with ADHD had poorer decoding scores, and lower comprehension and vocabulary accuracy. Groups performed similarly on reading speed, number of items attempted, perceived test anxiety, self-perception of testing skills, and strategy use. Conclusion: Students with ADHD (all of whom were receiving test accommodations in school) made more errors on some reading tasks, yet performed similarly to typical students on indices of speed and amount of test items accessed. The finding of more errors but no time differences might argue for a different intervention beside extended time, unless the extra time is used to review and correct work.

We present data on predictors of treatment outcome for 3200 consecutive referrals to a child and adolescent psychiatry clinic. Using Reliable Change Index (RCI) methodology, we divided children into those who, between intake and discharge, improved, stayed the same, or got worse according to clinician-rated impairment. Most predictors of improvement were related to parent variables (marital status, maternal anxiety, and ethnicity), while those associated with deterioration were tied to child status (extent of psychiatric comorbidity, history of placement in a self-contained classroom, and a prior trial of psychotropic medications). The implications of these findings for data-driven program development, clinic management, treatment planning, and systems of care are discussed.

This study examined executive functioning (EF) in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) boys ages 6-12 on a parent-report measure from Barkley's model. Mothers of 40 boys (20 with ADHD-HI or ADHD-C, and 20 without ADHD) completed the ADHD Symptom Checklist (ADHD-SC4), Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL-P), School-Home Information Profile (SHIP), and Children's Inhibition and Executive Function Scale (ChIEFS). Significant differences were found between groups for all measures, with the ChIEFS total score being the most discriminating index of ADHD (97.5%). The ChIEFS factors were highly intercorrelated and related to total score, suggesting they were all measuring the same construct. Executive functions may tap one's ability to control oneself, whether that involves control of motor, memory, attention, motivation, or planning functions. Executive functions also seem to be important in assessing characteristics of ADHD, and could prove useful in conjunction with current diagnostic instruments. (Author) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Executive Functioning 1 Running Head: EXECUTIVE FUNTIONING Examining Executive Functioning in Boys with ADHD By Robin S. Codding, M.S. & Lawrence Lewandowski, Ph.D. Syracuse University Michael Gordon, Ph.D. SUNY Upstate Medical University

Objective: This study investigates the stability of measured inattention and impulsivity in children. Method: The Gordon Diagnostic System (GDS) assesses inattention and impulsivity and has been administered in the same manner since its 1983 publication. GDS scores were compared between the 1983 standardization sample and a recent typical sample of 445 children, 562 children with ADHD-Combined (ADHD-C) type, 235 with ADHD-Inattentive (ADHD-I) type, and 231 with autism. Results: Typical children earned a GDS composite standard score of 100, consistent with the normal mean of 100 in the 1983 standardization sample. Means for children with ADHD-C, ADHD-I, and autism were 70, 78, and 76, respectively, approximately two standard deviations below the normal mean. Conclusion: As measured by the GDS, children are no more or less inattentive and impulsive today than in 1983, suggesting that inattention and impulsivity are stable neurobiological traits largely unaffected by cultural, educational, and environmental factors.

Free AccessDisorder Versus Disability: The Challenge of ADHD in the Context of a High IQKevin M. Antshel, Kaitlin Hendricks, Stephen V. Faraone and Michael GordonKevin M. AntshelDr. Antshel can be reached via email at [email protected], Kaitlin Hendricks, Stephen V. Faraone and Michael GordonState University of New York-Upstate Medical University, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences in Syracuse. Drs. Antshel and Gordon are also on the Advisory Board of The ADHD Report.Published Online:April 2011https://doi.org/10.1521/adhd.2011.19.2.4PDFPDF PLUS ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations About Previous article Next article FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Cited byCited by1. Behavioral and Socio-Emotional Disorders in Intellectual Giftedness: A Systematic ReviewOnline publication date: 1 October 2022. Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar2. Impact of the DSM-V Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Criteria for Diagnosing Children With High IQOnline publication date: 19 August 2016. Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar3. ADHD and Giftedness: A Neurocognitive Consideration of Twice ExceptionalityOnline publication date: Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar Volume 19Issue 2Apr 2011 Information© 2011 The Guilford PressPDF download

.This study examined academic and social impairments of 6- to 11-year-old children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; n = 101) versus other referred children without ADHD (n = 53) and controls (n = 24). Parent and teacher ratings showed significantly lower academic performance and lower social functioning for children with ADHD compared to other referred children without ADHD and controls. Children with ADHD scored significantly lower than controls on standardized tests of reading/language, mathematics, and written language, and lower than referred children without ADHD on mathematics. In multiple regression analyses, cognitive ability accounted for the most variance in predicting academic performance. Diagnostic status (ADHD vs. non-ADHD) accounted for the most variance in predicting parent and teacher ratings of social skills and school adaptive behavior. Significantly more children with ADHD than those without ADHD exhibited clinically significant impairment on five measures of academic performance and six measures of social behavior. Implications are discussed for assessing patterns of impairment associated with ADHD and designing appropriate academic and social interventions for students with ADHD.

Although missed appointments in service delivery systems reduce effective case management, clinical efficiency, staff morale, and resource utilization, researchers have paid little attention to the impact of missed appointments on patient care. This column presents findings from a study that examined predictors of missed appointments during the course of therapy among 2,903 psychiatric patients between the ages of three and 17. Self-reported history of maternal depression proved to be the most powerful predictor. Living more than 30 miles from the clinic and having a parent who was single or never married also predicted missed appointments.

Collateral contacts, while at the heart of wraparound care, are time consuming and often nonreimbursable. This column presents data from a study of 1,639 child patients. It examined whether the amount of time that clinicians spent in collateral activities could be predicted by demographic variables, child diagnosis, parental psychopathology or family history of mental disorders, or staff variables. For every 60 minutes of direct patient contact, approximately 20 minutes of collateral activities were performed by the clinician. The best predictors of spending time in collateral activities were having parents who were not married, a mother with depression or anxiety, a child patient with a history of substance misuse or abuse, and a child patient with a history of maltreatment.

Free AccessObservational Assessment of ADHD with the ASEBA FormsStephanie H. McConaughy, Kevin M. Antshel, Michael Gordon and Ricardo B. EiraldiStephanie H. McConaughySearch for more papers by this author, Kevin M. AntshelSearch for more papers by this author, Michael GordonSearch for more papers by this author and Ricardo B. Eiraldi1 On the faculty of the Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT; e-mail: [email protected].2 On the faculty of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, SUNY-Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY.3 On the faculty of the Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.Search for more papers by this authorPublished Online:January 2011https://doi.org/10.1521/adhd.2010.18.6.3PDFPDF PLUS ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations About Previous article Next article FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Cited byCited by1. Aspects of attention and inhibitory control are associated with on-task classroom behaviour and behavioural assessments, by both teachers and parents, in children with high and low symptoms of ADHDOnline publication date: 10 July 2019. Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar2. Assessment and Diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Individuals with Intellectual DisabilityOnline publication date: 25 July 2020. Go to citation Crossref Google Scholar Volume 18Issue 6Dec 2010 Information© 2010 The Guilford PressPDF download

This study tested the incremental validity of behavioral observations, over and above parent and teacher reports, for assessing symptoms of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children ages 6 to 12, using the Test Observation Form (TOF) and Direct Observation Form (DOF) from the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment. The TOF Attention Problems and DOF Intrusive scales contributed significant unique variance, over and above parent and teacher ratings, to predicting parent and teacher ratings of hyperactivity and impulsivity and predicting categorical diagnoses of ADHD-Combined type versus Non-ADHD and ADHD-Combined type versus ADHD-Predominantly Inattentive type. The TOF Oppositional and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Problems scales contributed unique variance to predicting parent ratings of hyperactivity and impulsivity and the DOF Oppositional and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Problems scales contributed unique variance to predicting teacher ratings of hyperactivity and impulsivity.

Brenda, a fifth grader with a measured IQ in the gifted range (135), has reading skills that are only slightly above average (a standard score of 108). There is a significant discrepancy between her ability and her level of achievement. Does this mean that Brenda has a learning disability in the area of reading? Is a score of 108 a deficit in relation to most people? The reading score may be a relative weakness, but does Brenda need special education services and test accommodations?

The measurement of functional impairment has become far more than an academic enterprise given the current demand for clinical evaluations of disability status. Individuals seeking access to legal accommodations in school or at work are pursuing assessments that establish their qualification as having a disability. To satisfy those requests, clinicians have to understand how the law defines disability and the level of documentation required to establish that an individual has a disability. These legal definitions of disability push clinicians to shift focus from the familiar terrain of symptom counts and psychological test scores to the less-well-tread path of assessing impairment in actual functioning.

Objective: Current diagnostic criteria for ADHD require the consideration of impairment in making a diagnosis, although clinical and research definitions of ADHD rely more heavily on reported symptoms. This study explored the relationship between impairment and symptoms, variables predictive of impairment, and variation in ADHD identification when impairment criteria are added to symptom criteria. Method: ADHD symptoms and impairment were assessed using archival parent and teacher rating scale data. Results: The results indicated that (a) single impairment measures alone and a global impairment index were, at best, only moderately correlated with symptom reports; (b) predictor variables accounted for a small percentage of the variance in impairment; and (c) the number of children meeting criteria for ADHD diagnosis varied dramatically when impairment measures were considered. Conclusion: Symptoms and impairment are related yet distinct constructs that should be measured independently to determine the presence of ADHD. (J. of Att. Dis. 2008; 11(5) 529-537)