Reliability and Validity of the Before-School Functioning Scale in Children With ADHD

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Psychology
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Background:

• Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often exhibit morning behavioral challenges.
• Assessing these pre-school behaviors is crucial for understanding treatment efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Before-School Functioning Questionnaire (BSFQ).
• To determine if the BSFQ can effectively measure morning behavioral impairments associated with ADHD.

Main Methods:

• Utilized pre-treatment data from a randomized crossover study.
• Compared methylphenidate transdermal system (MTS) with a placebo transdermal system (PTS) in children aged 6-12.
• Administered the BSFQ as an investigator-rated and self-rated scale.

Main Results:

• The investigator-rated BSFQ demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .91) and good test-retest reliability (r = .60).
• Concurrent validity was strong (r range = .42-.86), and a significant treatment effect was observed (effect size = -.93).
• The self-rated BSFQ exhibited lower reliability and validity.

Conclusions:

• The investigator-rated BSFQ is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing morning ADHD-related behaviors.
• This scale is recommended for use in future clinical trials evaluating ADHD medications.