David E. McIntosh

Implementing Empirically Supported Interventions: Teacher-Child Interaction Therapy.

Using a case study approach, the implementation of Teacher-Child Interaction Therapy (TCIT) within the preschool setting was presented. TCIT was found to increase the number of positive interactions between the child and teacher. In addition, TCIT was effective in decreasing the childs disruptive behaviors, increasing compliance, and decreasing the need for the teacher to issue commands. Although the case study provided initial empirical evidence, additional research is needed to fully support the use of TCIT. Specifically, research using a multiple case study approach is recommended.

Supervision in school psychology: Where will the future take us?

This article discusses the nature of supervision within school psychology. An overview of relevant literature and empirical research is provided with the intention of proposing future directions for supervision research. The future of school psychology supervision is conjectured upon by developing suggestions that will facilitate training, continuing professional development, and effective service delivery.

Comorbidity among individuals classified with attention disorders

This study examined the frequency of comorbidity among ADHD and ADHD subtypes. Specific aspects of comorbidity were examined in the areas of learning disorders, disruptive behavior disorders, and affective disorders. Two analyses were performed. The first analysis compared the comorbid second and third diagnoses for 287 individuals with a primary diagnosis of ADHD (Predominately Inattentive Type or Predominately Hyperactive-Impulsive Type) with a comparison sample (n = 290) who did not have a primary diagnosis of ADHD. The second analysis examined the comorbidity with specific ADHD subtypes. This analysis compared the comorbid second and third diagnosis of individuals with a primary ADHD subtype diagnosis of Predominately Inattentive (n = 143) with individuals who have a primary ADHD subtype diagnosis of Predominately Hyperactive-Impulsive (n = 143). Results from the first analysis indicated significant overlap between the diagnosis of ADHD and the diagnosis of learning disorders and disruptive behavior disorders but not for affective disorders. Results from the second analysis indicated that only conduct disorders were comorbid with certain ADHD subtypes, with disruptive behavior disorders being more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD Hyperactive-Impulsive Type than with ADHD Inattentive Type.

Use of Brief Intelligence Tests in the Identification of Giftedness.

Schools often administer brief intelligence tests as the first step in the identification of students who are cognitively gifted. However, brief measures are often used without consideration of underlying constructs or the psychometric properties of the measures and without regard to the links between screening decisions and educational programming. This article provides an overview of these issues and offers recommendations for using brief intelligence measures particularly when screening children who are cognitively gifted.

The Role of Phonological Awareness, Rapid Automatized Naming, and Orthographic Processing in Word Reading

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of three subskills associated with word decoding. The skills utilized for this study were phonological, rapid automatized naming (RAN), and orthographic processing. To do this, six separate models were utilized to define different ways that these three subskills (represented as factors) related to one another, with the goal of finding which model provided the best prediction of word decoding. A sample of 100 subjects from the PAIRW normative sample was used for this study. Results of structural equation modeling, utilizing the AMOS 4.0 program, revealed that using all three subskills concurrently provided the best-fitting model. Contrary to previous research, orthographic, rather than phonological, processing skills were found to be the best predictor of word decoding. RAN was found to be the second best predictor, but only indirectly through the Phonological and Orthographic factors. Moreover, when RAN was utilized as a predictor of orthographic and phonological processing, it provided a better-fitting model than when orthographic and phonological processing were used as predictors of RAN. Utilizing RAN as a predictor of both phonological and orthographic processing was found to provide a better-fitting model than when RAN was used to predict either the Phonological or Orthographic factor alone. The relevance of utilizing all three subskills in psychoeducational assessment is discussed, as well as implications for future research.

Discriminant Validity of the WISC-III with Children Classified with ADHD

The purpose of this study was to explore the ability of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III; Wechsler, 1991a) to discriminate between a group of children classified with ADHD (n = 40) and a group of non-ADHD children (n = 40), as well as to identify which combination of WISC-III subtests resulted in the highest level of correct classifications. A stepwise discriminant function analysis indicated that four WISC-III subtests contributed significantly to the prediction of group membership: Digit Span, Information, Vocabulary, and Picture Completion. An overall classification rate of approximately 89% was attained when the four WISC-III subtests were included in the equation. Ninety percent of the children classified as ADHD and 87.5% of the non-ADHD children were correctly identified when using the four WISC-III subtests as predictors.

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and working memory in clinically referred adults

A current theory of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) implicates a dysfunction in working memory as a significant factor in ADHD. The Working Memory Indexes of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Third Edition (WAIS-III; The Psychological Corporation, 1997a) and the Wechsler Memory Scale-Third Edition (WMS-III; The Psychological Corp--oration, 1997b) were used to evaluate this theory. Seventy adults clinically diagnosed with ADHD (mean age = 25) and who were previously administered the WAIS-III and WMS-III were reviewed to determine the association between working memory and ADHD symptomology. The respondent was asked to estimate the frequency of occurrence of ADHD symptoms by completing the Brown ADD Scales (Brown, 1996). Results indicated no significant relationship between working memory and self-reported symptoms, although the Working Memory Indexes of the WAIS-III and the WMS-III were significantly correlated. Implications for current ADHD theory and suggestions for future research were discussed

Profile Analysis of Deaf Children Using the Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test

This study was conducted to determine whether children who are deaf perform similarly to hearing children on the Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test (UNIT; Bracken & McCallum, 1998). The children classified as deaf demonstrated a hearing loss of 60 dB or more, were prelingually deaf, and did not exhibit co-morbidity. They were matched on age, gender, race/ethnicity, and highest combined parental education level with hearing children from the UNIT standardization sample. Profile analysis found that both groups displayed similar patterns of performance on the six UNIT subtests. This consistency supports the UNIT as a viable measure of cognitive abilities when deaf children must be assessed for educational decision making.

Concurrent validity of the early screening profiles and the differential ability scales with an at-risk preschool sample

The relationship between the Early Screening Profiles (ESP; Harrison, 1990) and the Differential Ability Scales (DAS; Elliott, 1990a) was studied. The participants were 94 (57 males, 37 females) at-risk preschoolers ranging in age from 3 years 6 months to 5 years 11 months (M= 4 years 7 months; SD= 6.3 months). The sample included 72 Caucasians, 21 African Americans, and one Hispanic. This study found that the DAS GCA (General Conceptual Ability) mean score was significantly lower than the ESP Total Screening mean score. However, a strong relationship (r= .78) was found between the ESP Total Screening and DAS GCA scores, indicating that the ESP is a good predictor of cognitive ability among at-risk preschoolers.

Utility of the Early Screening Profiles in identifying preschoolers at risk for cognitive delays

This study investigated the utility of the Early Screening Profiles (ESP; Harrison, 1990) to differentiate between preschoolers at risk for cognitive delays (n= 49) and non-risk preschoolers (n= 44). Step-wise discriminant function analysis was performed using the ESP Profiles and Total Screening scores as the predictors of group membership. The Total Screening score, by itself, was found to correctly classify approximately 81% of the preschoolers. In a separate discriminant analysis, the Cognitive/Language and Motor profiles were required to maintain a similar level of correct classifications as the ESP Total Screening score.