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The purpose of this study was to devise a classroom observation code that would identify hyperactive children reliably. A 14-category observation code was used to record the classroom behavior of 60 children referred to an outpatient clinic for hyperactivity and 60 same-sex normal children. The overall mean phi coefficient for interval agreement was .76, indicating adequate interobserver reliability. Children referred for hyperactivity had significantly higher scores than comparison children on 12 categories. There was greater withinsubject variability in the hyperactive group. Motor activity for both groups was significantly inversely related to age. The behavior frequencies during initial and later observations were not significantly different, indicating a lack of systematic observer effects on the child's behavior. However, there was overlap between the hyperactive and comparison children for all observation categories. Poor discrimination between the groups was therefore obtained with singlecategory criteria. Two-category criteria, especially the dyad interference and of task, substantially increased the code's discriminability, resulting in relatively few false positive and few false negative classifications. The code is felt to be a reliable and valid instrument for the objective quantification of classroom behavior in hyperactive children.This article presents an observation code to enable quantification of the classroom behavior of hyperactive children. These children typically evidence excessive motor activity, inattentiveness, and poor impulse control for their age (Douglas, 1972;Safer & Allen, 1976;Wender, 1971). During the past decade, hyperactive children have received increasing attention from educators and mental health professionals, partly because of

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Children reported to be hyperactive in school and with behavior difficulties at home were randomly assigned to methylphenidate, behavior therapy and placebo, or behavior therapy with methylphenidate for an 8-week period. Rating scales were obtained from teachers and parents. Independent blind observers rated childrens' classroom bheavior on a weekly basis. A behavior therapy program was implemented in the home and at school. Methylphenidate dosage was individualized. Ratings of behavior deviance were significantly reduced by all treatments. However, a significant advantage for the groups receiving methylphenidate was found over the group receiving behavior therapy and placebo. No significant differences between methylphenidate alone and methylphenidate combined with behavior therapy were obtained. Global ratings of improvement done by teachers favored the combined treatment of behavior therapy and methylphenidate over behavior therapy and placebo. No differences among treatments were found in the mothers' global ratings of improvement. The results indicate that though all three treatments were effective, methylphenidate was significantly superior to behavior therapy alone.

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