A Prevalence Study:ADHD in Elementary School Children

Abstract

Previous studies have investigated the prevalence of hyperkinesis, hyperactivity, and attention disorders in groups of children. This study was designed to determine the best estimate of the prevalence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in children attending a midwestern urban Canadian school division. The Conners' Teachers Rating Scale-28 was chosen to allow for comparison of the results in this study to those found in previous studies. The ADHD Rnting Scale was clrosen to ensure that the results in this study more accurately reflect current diagnostic nosology of the disorder. Other instruments were chosen or designed to examine correlates of the disorder that have a negative effect on children's progress at school and that need to be considered when planning appropriate interventions for ADHD children. These correlates include academic and social/behavioral difficulties of ADHD children, teacher recognition of children for whom ADHD assessment would be appropriate, and teachers' feelings of discouragement when working with ADHD students. Results showed that approximately 9.65% of children were identified as ADHD by the Conners' Scale, 7.46% by the ADHD Rating Scale, whereas 6.36% were identified as ADHD by both scales. Furthermore, it was found that 55.17% of ADHD children scored at levels of clinical concern on the Academic Performance Rating Scale, whereas 62.07% scored within the clinical range on the School Situations Questionnaire-Revised. Teachers identified ADHD students as appropriate candidates for ADHD assessments 100% of the time while expressing discouragement with the progress of their ADHD students 75.86% of the time. Implications of these results are discussed.

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