We analyzed the results of high school teachers' ratings of symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder, as well as school-related impairment of 875 adolescents. One hundred forty-three teachers at 19 high schools across 4 states each rated 6 students from their first-period classes according to selection criteria that led to ratings for 3 male and 3 female students. Factor analyses were conducted on the symptom measure to test hypotheses pertaining to the divergence of impulsivity and hyperactivity dimensions. Normative values for the Disruptive Behavior Disorder-Teacher Rating Scale and Impairment Rating Scale are reported, as well as important differences related to age, race, and gender. Gender and age contrasts revealed that boys were rated as more symptomatic and impaired than girls and younger adolescents were rated as having more problems than older adolescents in most areas. African American adolescents were rated higher on measures of symptoms and impairment than their Caucasian peers. Large differences in normative levels of hyperactivity/impulsivity and inattention are reported that are consistent with a reduced likelihood of a diagnosis of ADHD-C as children get older. Implications for the interpretation of ratings from high school teachers are discussed.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between ADHD symptoms and impairment within a sample that includes children in early childhood (n = 250), middle childhood (n = 269) and adolescence (i.e., high school; n = 269). Nested multivariate regression analyses were used to examine the extent to which each ADHD symptom dimension (inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity) is most associated with impairment in academic, social, and behavioral functioning within and across three developmental levels. Results indicated for academic impairment, inattention is more predictive than hyperactivity/impulsivity at all ages. For social functioning, both with peers and teachers, hyperactivity/impulsivity is more predictive than inattention but only for early childhood students; at the high school level, inattention is a significant predictor of social impairment. For behavioral functioning in the classroom, the pattern is mixed across dimensions and ages with HI decreasing in predictive utility across the three age groups and IA increasing in predictive utility. Forward stepwise regression was used to determine which of the 18 ADHD symptom items are most associated with impairment within and across developmental levels. Findings indicate that the symptoms that were most predictive of impairment varied by age group and by domain of impairment. Implications for assessment are discussed.

The authors evaluated the effects of an organization intervention for middle school students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The organization intervention was administered to participants twice each week over a 5-month period. The relationship between organization of academic materials and performance in class was analyzed to evaluate the possibility that organization was associated with improved grades. Finally, descriptive analyses of patterns of responding were completed to identify patterns that may be evaluated in future research and inform those who may implement the intervention. Results indicated that the vast majority of participants demonstrated improved organization of materials and this improvement was related to academic performance in some classes.

No abstract

A survey of 529 office workers from three government and three private sector organizations explored the environmental characteristics that demarcate status in the office, the extent to which these characteristics are related to a sense of status support, and the association of status support with workspace and job satisfaction. Four types of environmental characteristics (the nature of workspace furnishings, amount of space, capacity for personalization, and the ability to control access by others) discriminated between supervisory (high-status) and nonsupervisory (lowstatus) respondents. Furthermore, each of the four sets of physical environment properties were related to perceptions of appropriate status support, which was in turn predictive of job satisfaction and satisfaction with workspace. Private versus public sector differences and supervisory versus nonsupervisory differences were explored The implications for space planning and evaluation are considered.