Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): parents' judgment about school, teachers' judgment about home

Objective The aim of this study was to separate sources of observer and situational variance in reporting attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptomatology. Method In a sample of 30 children diagnosed with ADHD, ADHD symptomatology was assessed with the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children-Parent Version (DISC-P), with parents and teachers as informants. Both parents and teachers reported about the child's ADHD symptomatology at home as well as at school. Results Parents and teachers showed high within-observer cross-situational presence of ADHD symptoms. However, the between-observer agreement on the presence of ADHD symptoms within the same situation (home or school) was low. This pattern held equally true for attention/concentration and hyperactivity/impulsivity symptom scores. Conclusions In evaluating ADHD symptomatology, it is important to obtain independent reports about the child's behaviour at school from the teacher and about the child's behaviour at home from the parents.