School psychologist training and diagnosis of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Abstract

Attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) is a developmental disorder that is
characterized by inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. ADHD is commonly
diagnosed in childhood and one of the most frequent referral concerns brought to the
attention of school psychologists, yet it is often misdiagnosed (Cotuono, 1993;
2
Des granges, Des granges, & Karsky, 1995). The goal of this study is to explore ADHD
training among specialist level school psychologists, assessment procedures they were
exposed to during training, the information they rely on when determining if a child
meets ADHD diagnostic criteria, and the accuracy of the diagnosis. It was hypothesized
that the more intense the training received, the more accurate the school psychologist was
in diagnosing the subject in the vignette. A questionnaire and vignettes were mailed out
to practicing school psychologists to investigate the research questions. The data did not
support the hypothesis as it showed that the level of didactic training, supervised applied
experience, and independent ADHD assessments conducted is not significantly related to
the intensity of training.

Date of Award	2012
Original language	American English
Awarding Institution	Eastern Illinois University