The Auditory Continuous Performance Test (ACPT) was evaluated with 12 children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and 11 children without ADHD. The study found that the ACPT has acceptable specificity but very low sensitivity and thus cannot currently be recommended as a screening test for ADHD. (Author/DB)

Confirms low positive identification rates when kindergarten teachers were asked to predict future reading achievement using a traditional rating scale, while a project-developed, theory-based screening battery correctly identified 81% of poor readers. Suggests that both teacher ratings and screening tests be used to identify the largest number of…

Describes a current research study which is attempting to identify autism susceptibility loci by a systematic screening of the whole human genome by using multiplex families. It reviews the resources and methods used in the study including extensive collection of family data, semiautomated genotyping technology, and specialized statistical…

A study involving 570 individuals with mental retardation developed the Screening Tool of Feeding Problems, an assessment designed to identify feeding problems presented by persons with mental retardation, and thus facilitate the process of identifying who would benefit from some type of behavioral or medical intervention. Psychometric data are…

Examines the diagnostic utility of subtest variability for identifying students with learning disabilities (LD) by surveying students (n=2,200) in a normative sample and students (n=684) identified as LD. Results indicated that LD students did not differ from normative sample students at levels above chance. Concludes that deviation of individual…

Survey conducted of public and private school districts (N=755) in New York ascertained procedures and instruments used to conduct kindergarten screening. The Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning, and the Brigance K and 1 Screen were the most widely used instruments. The majority of respondents (95%) reported that screening is…

Reports preliminary findings of the first national survey of services to identify and provide specialist support to profoundly deaf infants and young children in England and Wales. Notes that the resources available for early identification of deaf infants and the quality of professional support to promote habilitation is quite variable.…

An operate conditional technique was used to determine the relative success of toys and video shows as reinforcers for testing the hearing of 28 younger (30-month-old) and 28 older (45-month old) children. Animated toys and video shows for children were equally effective as reinforcers for both age groups. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Forty-eight patients with Down syndrome were examined clinically and electrophysiologically for occurrence of carpal tunnel syndrome. Twenty-seven patients had normal findings, 13 had prolonged distal motor latency and reduced distal nerve conduction velocity, and 8 patients had one of these signs. Results show that prevalence of…

Examined key factors that influenced college students to seek screening for sexually transmitted diseases. Data from student interviews indicated that social stigmas and negative consequences (particularly the negative consequences of testing and perceived vulnerability to infection) represented significant barriers to being tested. Many students…

The authors explored the psychometric properties of the Correctional Treatment Resistance Scale. The Scale showed preliminary promise as a screening instrument that can be used in a variety of treatment settings. (Author)

Voice range profiles (VRP) were analyzed according to 11 frequency, intensity, and morphological characteristics for 94 typical children and 136 children with vocal fold pathologies (ages 6-11). Normative data are presented showing marked differences between the groups. The use of the VRP Index for Children for screening is discussed. (Author/CR)

Explored the limitations of identifying sedentary people via an existing screening question on a questionnaire. Data from responses on the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System indicated that many who initially reported no leisure time activity actually engaged in various types of physical activity, highlighting the difficulty of measuring a…

Suicidal behavior is a significant problem among adolescents in the United States. Three types of school-based suicide prevention programs have been proposed to address this problem including curriculum programs, staff in-service training, and school-wide screening. The relative acceptability of these three programs among older adolescents was…

The objective of this study was to determine if a brief screen for domestic violence (DV) predicts future violence. We conducted a cohort study of adult women who presented to an inner-city emergency department during an 8-week study period. Participants were screened for DV using the Partner Violence Screen (PVS). At 4 months, follow-up telephone…