Children's color trails

Abstract

Color Trails for Children was developed in response to the need for instruments which minimize cultural bias in neuropsychological testing. The test, similar in format to Trail Making, was designed to provide an evaluation of speeded visuomotor tracking while minimizing the influence of language. The present research involves two exploratory studies which examine the relationship between Color Trails for Children and Trail Making, factors that may affect performance times, and discriminant validity. Results indicate that the tests appear to measure the same neuropsychological domains, and administration of Trail Making did not significantly alter performance times on Color Trails. Increasing age and IQ were related to quicker completion time for both tests. Females were found to complete Color Trails 2 and Trail Making Part B more quickly than males in this sample. Comparison between children diagnosed with learning disabilities, attention deficits, or mild neurological conditions and a preliminary standardization sample supported the discriminant validity of Color Traits to distinguish between normal controls and children with altered neuropsychological functioning. Comparison between clinical conditions indicated that Color Trails 2 was particularly sensitive in discriminating among the groups. Although further research is needed, results suggest that Color Trails has the potential to be an effective research and clinical tool in child neuropsychological assessment.

Gender Differences in Neuropsychological Functioning of New Zealand Adolescents with and without Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

“…Colour errors, number errors, near-misses and prompts are also recorded; however, these errors are rare in a normative population. Williams et al (1995) found good correlations between the CCT and the TMT, good discriminant validity between normal control children and children with altered neuropsychological functions, and appropriate age-progression of scores.…”

Impact of Language Abilities on Exact and Approximate Number Skills Development: Evidence From Children With Specific Language Impairment

“…An adaptation of the Children's Color Trails Test (Williams et al, 1995) was used to evaluate executive functioning. In part A of the test, the participant had to connect a set of numbers in an ascending sequence (1 through 25) as quickly as possible.…”

The role of executive attention in the acquisition of mathematical skills for children in Grades 2 through 4

“…Color Trails is used to index executive functions, including sequencing and various attentional processes such as goal maintenance, response selection, shifting, and inhibition, using familiar stimuli (i.e., digits and colors) (Llorente, Williams, Satz, & D'Elia, 2003). It is intended to be a child-friendly, culture-free, and language-free version of the Trail Making Task (TMT) (Williams et al, 1995). The TMT has been used extensively in the neuropsychological literature as a measure of attentional flexibility and task switching that is particularly sensitive to frontal lobe dysfunction (Suchy, 2009).…”