The shifting subtypes of ADHD: classification depends on how symptom reports are combined.

Research on the correlates of ADHD subtypes has yielded inconsistent findings, perhaps because the procedures used to define subtypes vary across studies. We examined this possibility by investigating whether the ADHD subtype distribution in a community sample was sensitive to different methods for combining informant data. We conducted a study to screen all children in grades 1-5 (N = 7847) in a North Carolina County for ADHD.

Modifying the response labels of an ADHD teacher rating scale: psychometric and epidemiologic implications.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of changing the response labels of a teacher rating scale in a population-based study of ADHD.

Method: For parents, the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children, which asks whether each of 18 symptoms occurred "often" in the past year, was used. For teachers, most scales use a 4-point scale, with often and very often as the two highest categories.

Prevalence of medication treatment for attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder among elementary school children in Johnston County, North Carolina.

Objectives: This study estimated the prevalence of medication treatment for attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among elementary school children in a North Carolina county.

Methods: Parents of 7333 children in grades 1 through 5 in 17 public elementary schools were asked whether their child had ever been given a diagnosis of ADHD by a psychologist or physician and whether their child was currently taking medication to treat ADHD. Parents of 6099 children (83%) responded.