Ronald E. Reeve

THE WOODCOCK-JOHNSON TESTS OF COGNITIVE ABILITY: CONCURRENT VALIDITY WITH THE WISC-R

The Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery (WJ) is gaining in use in the assessment of youngsters with suspected learning disabilities. This study reports on the Tests of Cognitive Ability of the battery, which are intended to be the equivalent of an intelligence test. The correlation between full scale scores on the WISC-R and the WJ was found to be .79, suggesting considerable overlap. However, differences in mean full scale scores of approximately one standard deviation were found. Possible explanations and implications for the findings are discussed.

Community mental health services in rural areas: Some practical issues

Several critical issues involved in successfully initiating and maintaining a community mental health center program in a rural setting are discussed. These include the necessity of accurately assessing the existing social, cultural, and political system, and of fitting the mental health center program into these systems as smoothly as possible; the special problems faced in maintaining confidentiality; and the importance of recognizing and dealing with the front-line pressures on professional staff that are peculiar to the rural setting. Advantages as well as disadvantages of working in a rural program are considered.

The effect of reinforcement and verbal rehearsal on selective attention in learning-disabled children

A central-incidental task of selective attention was administered to 100 learning-disabled boys — 48 younger children (81/2–101/2 years) and 52 older children (101/2–121/2 years). Subjects at both age levels were assigned to one of four conditions: (a) a standard condition; (b) a rehearsal condition, in which subjects were taught a verbal rehearsal strategy; (c) a reinforcement condition, in which correct responses were rewarded; and (d) a combined rehearsal-reinforcement condition. Older subjects recalled more central task but not more incidental task information than younger subjects. A measure of selective attention efficiency was also greater for older than for younger subjects. Central recall in the rehearsal-reinforcement condition was greater than in any other condition. Central recall was greater in the rehearsal condition than in the standard and reinforcement conditions. Selective attention efficiency was greater for both rehearsal conditions than for both nonrehearsal conditions. Incidental recall was higher for reinforcement subjects than for rehearsal subjects. Results suggest that induced verbal rehearsal improves central recall and selective attention in learning-disabled children. Reinforcement alone does not improve central recall but may when paired with rehearsal.

A Psychophysiological Marker of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)—Defining the EEG Consistency Index

This study continues our research to further validate the idea that ADHD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) interferes with transition from one task to another and this interference can be quantified by a Consistency Index (CI) derived from a specific mathematical representation of EEG data. We reanalyze 32 previously reported data sets present new data for 35 boys and girls, ages 7–12, ADHD or control. Each data set contains EEG, recorded and digitized while participants perform consecutive 10-min tasks: video, reading, and math. For boys, the CI in ADHD was four times lower than in controls, p < .005, for girls this difference was two times, p < .05. ADHD/control classification based on the CI coincided with the DSM-IV criteria for 88% of the boys and for 67% of the girls. Post hoc analysis indicated that the classification utility of the CI diminished with age. A CI below 40% could be a discriminating, reliable, and reproducible marker of ADHD in young boys.

Driving simulator performance in novice drivers with autism spectrum disorder: the role of executive functions and basic motor skills

Previous studies have shown that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) demonstrate poorer driving performance than their peers and are less likely to obtain a driver’s license. This study aims to examine the relationship between driving performance and executive functioning for novice drivers, with and without ASD, using a driving simulator. Forty-four males (ages 15–23), 17 with ASD and 27 healthy controls, completed paradigms assessing driving skills and executive functioning. ASD drivers demonstrated poorer driving performance overall and the addition of a working memory task resulted in a significant decrement in their performance relative to control drivers. Results suggest that working memory may be a key mechanism underlying difficulties demonstrated by ASD drivers and provides insight for future intervention programs.

ADHD: Facts and Fallacies.

An overview of current knowledge about ADHD—and how to deal with it in the classroom.

Can Inhibition at Preschool Age Predict Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms and Social Difficulties in Third Grade?.

The present study examined whether deficits in inhibitory control in preschool‐aged children are predictive of attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and certain social difficulties in middle childhood, specifically third grade. Although many studies have examined the concurrent relationships among disinhibition, ADHD and social competence, few have focused on the preschool‐aged population and the longitudinal relationship between early inhibition and later ADHD symptoms and social skills. Using a non‐referred sample of children, laboratory measures of inhibition administered at 54 months of age, and parent/primary caregiver and teacher ratings of ADHD behaviors and social skills at third grade, the study revealed a significant but modest relationship between early disinhibition and later ADHD symptoms and social difficulties. Regression analysis indicated that early difficulties with inhibitory control could explain little of the variance in later inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity and social competence.

Home Literacy Exposure and Early Language and Literacy Skills in Children Who Struggle With Behavior and Attention Problems

Research Findings: This study investigated the relationships between behavior and attention problems and early language and literacy outcomes for 4-year-olds who experienced varied early home literacy environments. Participants were 1,364 children enrolled in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. Attention problems and early home literacy exposure both significantly predicted language and literacy outcomes when relevant covariates were controlled. There was also a significant interaction between behavior and attention problems and early home literacy exposure in predicting expressive language abilities. Specifically, early home literacy exposure was related to more advanced expressive language achievement for children with behavior problems. In contrast, children with attention problems performed below their peers on expressive language measures even when they received comparable early home literacy exposure. Practice or Policy: These findings suggest the need for further research on the differential role of early home literacy exposure on the development of early language and literacy skills in children with behavior and attention problems.

Validity of the Woodcock-Johnson tests of achievement for learning-disabled students

Abstract Two independent samples of 40 and 32 elementary-aged, learning-disabled (LD) pupils were administered the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement (WJTA), the Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT), and the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT) following seven instructional months in an LD self-contained class. Concurrent validity coefficients between W-J achievement clusters and corresponding WRAT and PIAT subtests ranged between .64 and .93. Results from both samples were convergent, thus allowing corroboration of findings. Discrepancies among WJTA, WRAT, and PIAT grade equivalents and standard scores are discussed, as are possible limitations of the WJTA for use with learning disabled pupils.

Model Invariance Across Genders of the Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire

ASD is one of the most heritable neuropsychiatric disorders, though comprehensive genetic liability remains elusive. To facilitate genetic research, researchers employ the concept of the broad autism phenotype (BAP), a milder presentation of traits in undiagnosed relatives. Research suggests that the BAP Questionnaire (BAPQ) demonstrates psychometric properties superior to other self-report measures. To examine evidence regarding validity of the BAPQ, the current study used confirmatory factor analysis to test the assumption of model invariance across genders. Results of the current study upheld model invariance at each level of parameter constraint; however, model fit indices suggested limited goodness-of-fit between the proposed model and the sample. Exploratory analyses investigated alternate factor structure models but ultimately supported the proposed three-factor structure model.