Research article summary (published 30 Jul 2002):

Reduction in children's symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and oppositional defiant disorder during individual tutoring as compared with classroom instruction.

Full Abstract

Children who display symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in classrooms are reputed to display fewer symptoms in one-on-one interaction. We tested this hypothesis with children who received tutoring for reading and behavior problems. We selected 30 children whose teacher-rated ADHD symptoms fit a pattern consistent with DSM criteria for the diagnosis. Teachers rated the frequency of symptoms in classrooms before and after tutoring. Tutors rated the frequency of the same behaviors during individual tutoring sessions. Children's ADHD symptoms, as well as oppositional symptoms, were significantly lower in the tutoring sessions than in the classrooms. The effect sizes for the difference between behavior in classrooms and in individual tutoring ranged from 0.7 to 2.5 standard deviations. These effect sizes appear as large as those reported for the effect of stimulant medication on ADHD symptoms. All 30 children at preintervention fit the pattern for ADHD using teachers' ratings of classroom behavior; 87% of them did not meet those DSM criteria using tutors' ratings of behavior in individual sessions. The confound of different raters for the two different settings must be resolved by another study with a new design.

Author information

Author/s: Strayhorn, Joseph M (JM); Bickel, Donna D (DD);

Affiliation: MCP/Hahnemann University School of Medicine, PA, USA. joestrayhorn(-atsign-)juno.com

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Psychological reports (Psychol Rep), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-Aug; vol 91 (issue 1) : pp 69-80

Dates: Created 2002/09/30; Completed 2002/10/18; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 12353805, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - diagnosis; epidemiology; psychology Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders - diagnosis; epidemiology; psychology Child Female Humans

Humans Male Random Allocation Severity of Illness Index Teaching - methods

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