Parent, teacher, child. A trilateral approach to attention deficit disorder
M. L. Cohen, P. C. Kelly and A. W. Atkinson
Developmental Pediatrics, San Antonio, Tex.
We compared the effectiveness of three instruments in initially diagnosing
and monitoring children with attention-deficit disorder with and without
hyperactivity (ADD/H). Twenty-one children clinically assessed as having
ADD/H and meeting criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders, Third Edition, were examined initially and after
treatment with methylphenidate hydrochloride and placebo. The following
instruments were used: the ADD-H Comprehensive Teacher Rating Scale, the
Connors' Parent Rating Scale-Revised, and the Gordon Diagnostic System. The
ADD-H Comprehensive Teacher Rating Scale initially classified 67% of the
children as having ADD/H and 14% as borderline. The Connors' Parent Rating
Scale-Revised identified 71% as having ADD/H, while the Gordon Diagnostic
System assessed 52% as having ADD/H and 29% as borderline. With
methylphenidate treatment, the mean scores on the ADD-H Comprehensive
Teacher Rating Scale displayed an increase in attention span and a decrease
in hyperactivity, the Connors' Parent Rating Scale-Revised showed a
significant decrease in ADD/H behavior, and the Gordon Diagnostic System
mean scores indicated no significant change.
