|
Article Excerpt
Reliability and construct validity of scores on the ADD-H Comprehensive Teacher Rating Scale--Second Edition (R. K. Ullman, E. K. Sleator, & R. Sprauge, 2000) were studied.
**********
In elementary schools and child guidance clinics, disruptive behavior disorders such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder are frequently observed (Barkley, 1998). Accurate screening for and identification of these conditions are often a priority, but they can be challenging because of symptom overlap with other disorders. The use of behavioral rating scales for assessing children's behavior has remained popular because of their comprehensiveness, time efficiency, and economy.
One such behavior rating scale in common use in the schools is the ADD-H Comprehensive Teacher Rating Scale-Second Edition (ACTeRS-2; Ullman, Sleator, & Sprague, 2000). The ACTeRS-2 is a 24-item rating scale completed by the student's teacher. Each item is rated as one of five response categories from almost never (1) to almost always (5), with no qualitative descriptors accompanying numeric designations of 2, 3, or 4. The ACTeRS-2 was standardized on 2,362 children, kindergarten to Grade 8. Exploratory factor analysis yielded a four-factor solution of Attention, Hyperactivity, Social Skills, and Oppositional. Ullman et al. (2000) reported internal consistency (coefficient alpha) for scores on these subscales of .97, .95, .92, and .95, respectively, which is very high for scales comprising only five to seven items each. Two-week test-retest reliability on a sample of 80 boys and girls was .78, .81, .81, and .82, respectively. Interrater (two teachers) reliability resulted in correlations of .61, .73, .51, and .59, respectively, on a sample of 124 boys and girls. Validity information on the ACTeRS-2 other than exploratory factor analysis is sparse. Ullman (1984) and Ullman, Sleator, and Sprague (1984) reported the original ACTeRS differentiated between children with ADHD and children with learning disabilities or normal learning capabilities.
Interpretive scores are represented as percentile ranks. Norm-referenced conversions of scores on the ACTeRS-2 are differentiated by gender and not by age or grade. This is unusual for a behavioral rating scale purporting to measure constructs such as attention and hyperactivity and covering at least nine age categories. This is especially curious given that trend graphs provided in the manual (Ullman et al., 2000) suggested substantial differences occur across age or grade levels on the behavioral scales.
Only minimal training is necessary to administer, score, or interpret responses to the ACTeRS-2. Teachers complete the frequency ratings of each of the 24 items. Professional counselors then total the scores of the items on each subscale and circle the raw score on the profile report to determine the percentile rank. The lower the percentile rank, the more serious the behavior problem is.
The four subscales (i.e., Attention, Hyperactivity, Social Skills, and Oppositional) of the ACTeRS-2 are significantly intercorrelated and have been shown to influence classroom instruction and discipline. Students exhibiting oppositional behavior were reported by their teachers as more hyperactive and inattentive compared with their peers (Jackson & King, 2004). Students diagnosed with ADHD often have problems in daily-life functioning, including academic difficulties, poor peer relations, family problems, and demonstration of oppositional behavior toward adults.
Stormant (2001) found that students with ADHD who displayed impulsivity were more frequently rejected by peers and were less popular among classmates than were nonidentified peers. Oppositional behavior, impulsivity, and aggression toward peers and adults also resulted in less popularity and acceptance among peers. The aggressive behaviors frequently served no purpose other than inflicting harm (e.g., hostile behavior) or gaining something of value (e.g., to win a game). Students with ADHD-combined type (symptoms of both hyperactivity and inattention) were far less popular with peers than students with ADHD-predominantly inattentive type (ADHD-PIT; symptoms of inattention only).
Children with disruptive behavior disorders often influence the classroom climate. In a study by Stormant (2001), teachers were shown to demonstrate negative behavior toward students with ADHD and to classes containing students with ADHD. Teachers were more intense, more irritable, and less patient when...
|
