Two New Rating Scales for Assessment of ADHD Symptoms in Italian Preschool Children: A Comparison Between Parent and Teacher Ratings

OBJECTIVE: Two new rating scales are presented for the assessment of ADHD symptoms in Italian preschool children, and the agreement between parents and teachers on the presence of an ADHD profile is examined. METHOD: The scales were administered to parents and teachers of 180 children with a mean age of 5 years and 9 months, attending final year of the Italian preschool system (kindergarten). RESULTS: Despite the good psychometric properties of the scales, parent and teacher agreement was poor and parents endorsed more symptomatic behaviors in their children than the teachers, especially for the hyperactive dimension, although they did not necessarily associate these with the presence of a potential problem. CONCLUSIONS: The low correspondence between teachers and parents shows that ADHD rating scales, although useful screening instruments, are not sufficient for diagnosis and must be combined with other tools.