Frequency of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children aged 6-11 years old in the city of Piranshahr

Background. One of the most common childhood disorders is attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study aimed to determine the prevalence of ADHD in children aged 6-11 years in Piranshahr city (Iran). Methods. This descriptive-analytical study involved six hundred primary school students (300 girls and 300 boys) in Piranshahr city who were enrolled in the study using stratified random sampling. The frequency of ADHD was assessed using the short form of the Conners Teacher and Parent Rating Scale. Results. The frequency of inattention and hyperactivity indices in girls were respectively 13% and 15%, per Conners Parents Rating Scale, and 14.6% and 16.6% per Conners Teacher Rating Scale, while the frequency of ADHD index was 6.33% and 8.66%, respectively. The frequency of inattention and hyperactivity indexes in boys were respectively 11% and 17% per Conners Teacher Rating Scale, and 20.6% and 24.6%, respectively, per Conners Parents Rating scale, whereas the frequency of ADHD index was based on parents and teacher was 5.6% and 18.3%, respectively. Conclusion. This study showed that the prevalence of children prone to ADHD in the Piranshahr region is relatively high in comparison with other regions of the country. Therefore, it is necessary to study this disorder in the identity card of children at the entrance to kindergartens and schools to identify the patients, so through timely and appropriate intervention, its important complications in adolescence and adulthood can be prevented.

Parent Questionnaires in the Evaluation of Pre-School Children Referred for Neuropsychiatric Assessment

One-hundred twenty-four pre-school children referred for assessment to a neuropsychiatric team were included in this study of the Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC), ESSENCE-Q, and Conners Abbreviated Parent-Teacher Rating Scale (CAPRS). All three questionnaires showed a good correlation towards severity of symptoms in ASD. The ABC questionnaire was, as has been shown in earlier research less accurate in identifying individuals with ASD having an IQ within the normal range. However the ESSENCE-Q, and the CAPRS proved to identify children with difficulties needing further assessment regardless of intellectual ability. The CAPRS showed a good correlation to severity in ASD indicating difficulties in the regulation of activity and behavior likely to be connected to ASD in pre-school children.

Tradução e adaptação para português da Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Teacher Rating Scale: um estudo piloto

Este estudo integra uma investigação mais ampla, cujo propósito foi analisar o impacto da Perturbação de Hiperatividade/Défice de Atenção (PHDA) em contexto escolar, a nível académico, comportamental e social. A Vanderbilt Adhd Diagnostic Teacher Rating Scale (VADTRS) – Escala Vanderbilt de Diagnóstico de PHDA para Professores (EVDPP) - foi traduzida e adaptada para Português Europeu. 76 professores do 1.º ciclo da ilha de São Miguel (Açores) preencheram a EVDPP para 105 alunos diagnosticados com PHDA ou em avaliação, com idades compreendidas entre os 6 e os 11 anos, 85.7% são do género masculino e 14.3% do feminino. Os resultados demonstram a validade interna da escala, com alfas de Chronbach a situarem-se entre os .80 e .94 nas diferentes dimensões, corroborando outros estudos internacionais. Estes dados preliminares sugerem que a EVDPP pode ser um instrumento extremamente útil para as equipas multidisciplinares na sinalização, diagnóstico e caraterização dos principais problemas da PHDA em contexto escolar.