When Parents and Teachers Disagree About Preschooler Behavior Ratings

Preschool is a common age for presentation of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and behavioral difficulties and an important timeframe for intervention. Completing behavior rating scales is the first step in ADHD evaluation, but providers may be unsure of what to do when teacher and parent ratings disagree.

To identify factors that predict parent-teacher discordance on preschooler behavior ratings, researchers analyzed behavior rating scales (Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory and the Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation) completed by parents and teachers of 562 preschool-aged children enrolled in Head Start programs from 2011 to 2015. Discordance was determined by differences in scores between parents and teachers, or when a…