Is your child having trouble focusing? Is he impulsive? Are you attending parent conferences at school regarding your child’s inappropriate behavior? Is your child disorganized or unable to manage simple tasks? If you are noticing these behaviors, it may be time to consult your pediatrician for an assessment. These symptoms typically raise a red flag and often result in a diagnosis of Attention Deficit with Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD. One of the most useful tools when assessing a child is the Connors Scale for Assessing ADHD.
What is the Connors Test?
C. Keith Connors developed the test to be utilized by parents and teachers to evaluate children for ADHD. The test is comprised of a comprehensive set of information seeking questions. Parents and teachers fill out the score sheets based on observations they make as they interact with the child in his environment.
The results of the test are subsequently presented to a mental health professional for interpretation. The test, though helpful, is not the only tool used to determine if a child has ADHD. The Connors test is used in coordination with additional diagnostic measures and face to face interviews with the child and his parents.
Does the Connors Test Work?
The test has a long version that contains 59 questions for teachers and 80 items for parents. The shorter version has 27 items for parents to observe and 28 items for teachers. Evaluators observe the child in his day-to-day routine and complete the assessment by simply filling in circles on the testing sheet. The test is designed to assess children by age groups.
What Are Parents and Teachers Looking For?
Parents and teachers observe behaviors such as impulsivity, inattention, hyperactivity, aggression, learning problems, peer relations, and executive functioning. The observations are scored by numbers on the chart, and then transferred to graphs for comparison.
Is the Test Always 100% Correct?
No, there is room for misinterpretation on the test. In some cases, the parent may not observe a behavior that is going on in school. Teachers do not see the child in his home environment. Interpretations differ from one individual to another. It is important to use the Connors Scale for Assessing ADHD as a starting point for diagnosing ADHD.
Once the assessment is completed by the parent and the child’s teacher, the mental health professional can review it, discuss the findings with parents and teachers, and begin the process of diagnosis and treatment.
