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Teachers' Screening for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Comparing Multinational Samples on Teacher Ratings of ADHD

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Abstract

This study evaluates a measurement model for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The DSM-IV divides 18 symptoms into two groups, inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive. Elementary school teachers rated 21,161 children in 4 locations: Spain, Germany, urban US, and suburban US. Confirmatory factor analysis suggested that the 2-factor model (inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity) shows the best fit. A third factor, impulsivity, was too slight to stand-alone. Children with academic performance problems were distinguished by inattention, but children with behavior problems typically had elevations in inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Between-site differences were statistically significant, but so small that we conclude that same measurement model fits all 4 samples in 2 continents.

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Correspondence to Mark L. Wolraich.

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Wolraich, M.L., Lambert, E.W., Baumgaertel, A. et al. Teachers' Screening for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Comparing Multinational Samples on Teacher Ratings of ADHD. J Abnorm Child Psychol 31, 445–455 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023847719796

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1023847719796

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