Diagnostic utility of two commonly used ADHD screening measures among special education students.

Objective: To examine the diagnostic utility of two commonly used attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) screening measures in a population of special education students and address whether screener performance is affected by demographic characteristics.

Method: A school district population of special education students was screened for ADHD risk using two parent questionnaires, the 46-item Attention Deficit Disorders Evaluation Scale (ADDES) and the 10-item Conners Abbreviated Symptom Questionnaire (ASQ). All high-risk children and a random sample of low-risk children subsequently underwent DSM-IV-based diagnostic assessment through parental diagnostic interviews (Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children Version 3.