Parent-teacher concordance for DSM-IV attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in a clinic-referred sample

Objective: To examine concordance between parent and teacher reports of DSM -IV attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and its symptoms. Metho d: Parents and teachers of 74 clinically referred children were interviewed using the ADHD module of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children. P arent-teacher agreement for the diagnosis of ADHD and its subtypes, as defi ned in DSM-IL: as well as parent-teacher concordance of in-school ADHD symp toms, was examined. Results: Agreement between parents and teachers was fou nd to be relatively poor, with virtually no agreement for individual ADHD s ubtypes. Diagnoses based on either parent or teacher report frequently yiel ded a diagnosis of either inattentive or hyperactive-impulsive subtype of A DHD. However, when cross-informant data were used to form diagnoses, these subtypes became relatively rare, with most cases meeting criteria for ADHD combined type. In addition, parent reports of in-school behavior were more highly correlated with their own reports of their child's behavior at home than with teacher reports of their child's behavior in school. Conclusions: These data suggest that the diagnosis of ADHD inattentive or hyperactive-i mpulsive subtype based on data from a single informant may be of questionab le validity, and they point to the importance of using multiple informants when diagnosing this disorder in clinically referred samples.