Assessment of attention deficit disorder using a thematic apperception technique

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders
• Psychological Assessment

Background:

• Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (AD-HD) is a common condition in school-aged children.
• Standard assessment methods for AD-HD face several confounding factors.
• The Tell-Me-A-Story (TEMAS) test offers a novel approach to evaluating attention and cognitive processing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the utility of the TEMAS test in assessing AD-HD in children.
• To determine if AD-HD children exhibit different patterns of information omission compared to neurotypical children.
• To explore the potential of structured thematic apperception techniques for AD-HD diagnosis.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 152 normal and 95 clinical school-aged children (Hispanic, Black, White) was conducted.
• The Tell-Me-A-Story (TEMAS) test, a structured thematic apperception technique, was used.
• Participants' attention to pictorial stimuli, including characters, events, settings, and conflicts, was measured.

Main Results:

• Children diagnosed with AD-HD were significantly more likely to omit information about stimuli elements (characters, events, settings, conflicts).
• These differences remained large and consistent even with structured examiner inquiries.
• The findings suggest distinct information processing patterns in children with AD-HD.

Conclusions:

• Structured thematic apperception techniques, like the TEMAS test, show promise for AD-HD assessment.
• This method may aid in facilitating diagnoses, potentially aligning with DSM-III-R criteria.
• Further rigorous validity studies are recommended to confirm these findings.