Clinical usefulness of observational assessment in the diagnosis of DBD and ADHD in preschoolers.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinical usefulness of an observational tool--the Disruptive Behavior Diagnostic Observation Schedule (DB-DOS)--in the diagnosis of disruptive behavior disorders (DBD) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in preschoolers. We hypothesized that the DB-DOS may help support the presumption of a diagnosis generated by the information from parents and teachers (or other caregivers). Participants were referred preschool children with externalizing behavioral problems (N = 193; 83% male) and typically developing children (N = 58; 71% male).