Can parents accurately perceive hyperactivity in their child?

In all, 1872 children were recruited as part of a larger study concerning f ood additives and behaviours in preschool children. This figure represented 70% of the whole population of 3 1/4-year-old children resident on the Isl e of Wight, UK. Parents completed an assessment concerning their perception s of their child's behaviour. The results of this assessment were compared with scores on two validated parental questionnaires, the Weiss Werry Peter s (WWP) hyperactivity scale and the Emotionality, Activity and Sociability Temperament Questionnaire (EAS), which were used to assess hyperactivity. T he accuracy of parents in perceiving hyperactivity in their children was fo und to be around 50% if the child was hyperactive, and 89% if the child was not hyperactive. The implications of these findings for services are discu ssed. Frequencies of potential risk groups for future Attention Deficit Hyp eractivity Disorder (ADHD) and Conduct Disorder were also suggested.