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.

Measuring and Predicting Divergent Thinking With a Self-Report Questionnaire, Teacher Rating Scale, and Self-Regulated Learning Microanalysis

This study examined the relationships among three measurement methodologies that are used to assess characteristics and processes associated with creativity (i.e., a self-report questionnaire, teacher ratings, and a structured interview). In addition, we examined the predictive contributions of these three measurement methodologies for a divergent thinking test (Torrance Test of Creative Thinking-Figural; TTCT-F). Participants were 89 adolescents in the Midwestern United States. Results revealed that the self-report questionnaire and structured interview measure of self-efficacy correlated significantly (r = .34), but no other significant relationships among measurement methodologies were observed. Neither the self-report ratings nor teacher ratings significantly predicted performance on the TTCT-F, but the structured interview measures did.

Finding Talent Among Elementary English Learners: A Validity Study of the HOPE Teacher Rating Scale

The purpose of this study was to investigate the validity of the HOPE Scale for identifying gifted English language learners (ELs) and how classroom and English as a second language (ESL) teacher HOPE Scale scores differ. Seventy teachers completed the HOPE Scale on 1,467 students in grades K-5 and four ESL teachers completed the scale on 131 ELs. Measurement invariance tests indicated that the HOPE Scale yields noninvariant latent means across EL and English proficient (EP) samples. However, confirmatory factor analysis results support the use of the scale with ELs or EP students separately. Results also indicate that the rating patterns of classroom and ESL teachers were different and that the HOPE Scale does not yield valid data when used by ESL teachers. Caution is recommended when using the HOPE Scale and other teacher rating scales to compare ELs to EP students. The importance of invariance testing before using an instrument with a population that is different from the one(s) for which the instrument was developed is discussed.

Validity and Reliability of Gifted Rating Scales-School Form in Sample of Teachers and Parents – A Czech Contribution

The factor structure, the concurrent validity, and test–retest reliability of the Czech translation of the Gifted Rating Scales-School Form [GRS-S; Pfeiffer, S. I., & Jarosewich, T. (2003). GRS (gifted rating scales) - manual. Pearson] were evaluated. Ten alternative models were tested. Four models were found to exhibit acceptable fit and interpretability. The factor structure was comparable for both parent ( n = 277) and teacher raters ( n = 137). High correlations between the factors suggest that raters might be subject to a halo effect. Ratings made by teachers show a closer relationship with criteria (WJ IE II COG, CFT 20-R, and TIM3–5) than ratings made by parents. Test–retest reliability of teacher rating (with median 93 days) was quite high for all GRS-S subscales ( r = .84–.87).