Estimates of the Utility of Child Behavior Checklist/Teacher Report Form Attention Problems Scale in the Diagnosis of ADHD in Children Referred to a Specialty Clinic

Examination of the accuracy or diagnostic utility of behavioral rating scales can contribute to an evidence base for assessment practice. The purpose of this study was to provide estimates of the diagnostic utility of the Attention Problems scales from the Child Behavior Checklist and Teacher Report Form in the assessment of Attention- Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children referred for evaluation to a specialty clinic. It was hypothesized that the utility of the Attention Problems scales in diagnosing ADHD would be fair to moderate in magnitude. This study extends the literature on the diagnostic accuracy of the Attention Problems scales by utilizing various diagnostic standards, multiple cutoffs, and multiple informants. Signal detection, Bayesian, and efficiency approaches were used to evaluate the diagnostic utility of the Attention Problems scale. Results showed the quality of efficiency for the Attention Problems scale was moderate for parents and teachers. In general, teacher ratings showed slightly higher quality of efficiency than parent ratings when teacher ratings were included in the diagnostic standard.