EVALUATING ATTENTION-DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER USING MULTIPLE INFORMANTS - THE INCREMENTAL UTILITY OF COMBINING TEACHER WITH PARENT REPORTS

In a sample of students referred to a school-based Pupil Assistance Co mmittee, the Inattention and Hyperactivity-Impulsivity factors of the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Rating Scale-IV were u sed to predict diagnostic status, determined by a parent-reported diag nostic interview and teacher rating scale. Results of logistic regress ion and receiver operating curve analyses indicated that the Inattenti on and Hyperactivity-Impulsivity factors differentiated students with ADHD from controls and distinguished children with different ADHD subt ypes. Symptom utility estimates demonstrated that a single informant a pproach was best suited for ruling out ADHD, whereas a combined inform ant method was optimal for positively diagnosing this disorder. Method s for determining the incremental utility of combining teacher with pa rent reports were demonstrated.