Early clinical assessment of attention

Fifty preschoolers participated in this study. Twenty-five preschoolers classified as ADHD were matched with 25 typically developing preschoolers, and assessed using three tests of attention (two vigilance tests, one visual-search test). Their behavior exhibited during these attention tests was also assessed. Compared to their peers, preschoolers classified as ADHD exhibited significantly more omission and commission errors on the visual attention test. On the visual-search attention test, preschoolers classified as ADHD exhibited significantly more commission errors, and they took significantly longer to complete it. They did not exhibit significantly more omission or commission errors on the auditory attention test. The preschoolers classified as ADHD were also more vocal, more often off-task and out-of-seat, and they required more adult redirectives to return to task. Discussion is focused on the clinical value of developmentally appropriate attention tests and behavioral observation systems in the early clinical assessment of attention in very young children.