Abstract
This study examines the clinical utility of behavior ratings made by nonclinician examiners during assessments of preschool children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD). Matched samples of children with (n = 127) and without (n = 125) AD/HD were utilized to test the internal, convergent, concurrent, and incremental validity of ratings completed by examiners on the Hillside Behavior Rating Scale (HBRS). Results indicated that HBRS ratings were internally consistent, possessed sufficient interrater reliability, and were significantly associated with parent and teacher reports of AD/HD when controlling for age, gender, intelligence, and symptoms of other psychopathology. HBRS ratings also were significantly associated with other measures of functioning, and provided a significant increment in the prediction of impairment over parent and teacher report alone. These findings suggest that behavioral ratings during testing provide a unique source of clinical information that may be useful as a supplement to parent and teacher reports.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Abikoff, H., & Gittelman, R. (1985). The normalizing effects of methylphenidate on the classroom behavior of ADDH children. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 13, 33-44.
American Psychiatric Association (1987). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (3rd ed., revised). Washington, DC: Author.
American Psychiatric Association (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Barkley, R. A. (1988). Child behavior rating scales and checklists. In M. Rutter, H. Tuma, & I. Lann (Eds.), Assessment and diagnosis in child psychopathology (pp. 113-155). New York: Guilford Press.
Barkley, R. A. (1998). Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: A handbook for diagnosis and treatment (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.
Barkley, R. A., DuPaul, G. J., & McMurray, M. B. (1990). Comprehensive evaluation of attention deficit disorder with and without hyperactivity as defined by research criteria. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 58, 775-789.
Barkley, R. A., & Edelbrock, C. (1987). Assessing situational variation in children's behavior problems: The Home and School Situations Questionnaires. In R. Prinz (Ed.), Advances in behavioral assessments of children and families (Vol. 3, pp. 157-176). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
Cassidy, J., & Asher, S. R. (1992). Loneliness and peer relations in young children. Child Development, 63, 350-365.
Dishion, T. (1990). The peer context of troublesome child and adolescent behavior. In P. Leone (Ed.), Understanding troubled and troubling youth, Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
DuPaul, G. J. (1991). Parent and teacher ratings of ADHD symptoms: Psychometric properties in a community-based sample. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 20, 245-253.
DuPaul, G. J., & Barkley, R. A. (1992). Situational variability of attention problems: Psychometric properties of the Revised Home and School Situations Questionnaires. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 21, 178-188.
DuPaul, G. J., & Stoner, G. D. (1994). ADHD in the schools. New York: Guilford Press.
Flanagan, D. P., Alfonso, V. C., Primavera, L. H., Povall, L., & Higgins, D. (1996). Convergent validity of the BASC and SSRS: Implications for social skills assessment. Psychology in the Schools, 33, 13-23.
Frick, P. J., Kamphaus, R. W., Lahey, B. B., Loeber, R., Christ, M. A. G., Hart, E. L., & Tannenbaum, L. (1991). Academic underachievement and the disruptive behavior disorders. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 59, 289-294.
Gittelman, R. G., & Klein, D. (1985). Hillside Behavior Rating Scale. Psychopharmacology Bulletin, 21, 898-899.
Gresham, F. M., & Elliott, S. N. (1990). Social Skills Rating System: Preschool Level. Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Service.
Hart, E. L., Lahey, B. B., Loeber, R., & Hanson, K. S. (1994). Criterion validity of informants in the diagnosis of disruptive behavior disorders in children: A preliminary study. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 65, 599-610.
Hartung, C. M., & Widiger, T. (1998). Gender differences in the diagnosis of mental disorders: Conclusions and controversies of the DSM-IV. Psychological Bulletin, 123, 260-278.
Hinshaw, S. P. (1994). Attention deficits and hyperactivity in children. New York: Sage.
Klein, R. G., & Abikoff, H. (1997). Behavior therapy and methylphenidate in the treatment of children with ADHD. Journal of Attention Disorders, 2, 89-114.
Lahey, B. B., Applegate, B., McBurnett, K., Biederman, J., Greenhill, L., Hynd, G. W., Barkley, R. A., Newcorn, J., Jensen, P., Richters, J., Garfinkel, B., Kerdyk, L., Frick, P.J., Ollendick, T., Perez, D., Hart, E. L., Waldman, I., & Shaffer, D. (1994). DSM-IV field trials for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in children and adolescents. American Journal of Psychiatry, 151, 1673-1685.
Lahey, B. B., Pelham, W. E., Loney, J., Tripani, C., Stein, M., Lee, S., Kipp, H., Schmidt, E., Erhardt, A., Gold, E., Cale, M., Hartung, C., & Willcutt, E. (1999). Comparison of five methods of using parent and teacher reports of symptoms in the diagnosis of DSM-IV attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Manuscript submitted for publication.
Lahey, B. B., Pelham, W. E., Stein, M. A., Loney, J., Trapani, C., Nugent, K., Kipp, H., Schmidt, E., Lee, S., Cale, M., Gold, E., Hartung, C. M., Willcutt, E., & Baumann, B. (1998). Validity of DSM-IV Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder for young children. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 37, 695-702.
Merrell, K. W. (1995). Relationships among early childhood behavior rating scales: Convergent and discriminant construct validity of the Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scales. Early Education and Development, 6, 253-264.
Milich, R., Hartung, C. M., Martin, C. A., & Haigler, E. D. (1994). Behavioral disinhibition and underlying processes in adolescents with disruptive behavior disorders. In D. K. Routh (Ed.), Disruptive behavior disorders in childhood (pp. 109-138). New York: Plenum Press.
Molina, B. S. G., Pelham, W. E., Blumenthal, J., & Galiszewski, E. (1998). Agreement among teachers' behavior ratings of adolescents with a history of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 27, 330-339.
Pelham, W. E., Gnagy, E. M., Greenslade, K. E., & Milich, R. (1992). Teacher ratings of DSM-III-R symptoms for the disruptive behavior disorders. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 33, 529-539.
Piacentini, J. C., Cohen, P., & Cohen, J. (1992). Combining discrepant information from multiple sources: Are complex algorithms better than simple ones? Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 20, 51-62.
Schwab-Stone, M. E., Shaffer, D., Dulcan, M. K., Jensen, P. S., Fisher, P., Bird, H. R., Goodman, S. H., Lahey, B. B., Lichtman, J. H., Canino, G., Rubio-Stipec, M., & Rae, D. S. (1996). Criterion validity of the NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children Version 2.3 (DISC 2.3). Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 35, 878-888.
Setterberg, S., Bird, H., & Gould, M. (1992). Parent and interviewer version of the Children's Global Assessment Scale. New York: Columbia University.
Shaffer, D., Fisher, P., Dulcan, M. K., Davies, M., Piacentini, J., Schwab-Stone, M. E., Lahey, B. B., Bourdon, K., Jensen, P. S., Bird, H. R., Canino, G., & Rieger, D. A. (1996). The NIMH Diagnostic Interview for Children Version 2.3 (DISC-2.3): Description, acceptability, prevalence rates, and performance in the MECA study. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 35, 865-877.
Shaffer, D., Fisher, P., Piacentini, J., Schwab-Stone, M., & Wicks, J. (1993). Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children. New York: Columbia University.
Sleator, E. K., & Ullmann, R. K. (1981). Can the physician diagnose hyperactivity in the office? Pediatrics, 67, 13-17.
Thorndike, R., Hagan, E., & Sattler, J. (1986). The Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale (4th ed.). Chicago: Riverside Press.
Woodcock, R. W., & Johnson, M. (1989). Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery—Revised. Allen, TX: DLM Teaching Resources.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Willcutt, E.G., Hartung, C.M., Lahey, B.B. et al. Utility of Behavior Ratings by Examiners During Assessments of Preschool Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. J Abnorm Child Psychol 27, 463–472 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021984126774
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021984126774