An accurate interpretation of information obtained from multiple assessors is indispensible when complex diagnoses of behavioral problems in children need to be confirmed. The present study examined the similarity of parents and kindergarten teachers ratings on children's behavior in a sample of 160 preschool children (a clinical group including 80 children with externalizing behavioral problems and a matched control group including 80 children). Behavioral problems were assessed using the SDQ, and the DISYPS-II questionnaires for ADHD and conduct disorders. The results revealed low levels of parent-teacher agreement for their ratings on the children's behavior in both groups with the highest correlations in the non-clinical sample. Parent-teacher agreement did not differ significantly across the samples. Parent and teacher ratings correlated with the prevalence of externalizing disorders and were found to be almost independent of each other. The results highlight the importance of multiple informants and their independent influence within the diagnostic process.

Zusammenfassung. Inwieweit die motorische und kognitive Entwicklung von Kindern miteinander verbunden ist, wird seit langem kontrovers diskutiert. Insbesondere für die frühkindliche Förderung ist es von Bedeutung, das Zusammenspiel beider Entwicklungsbereiche genau zu analysieren, um passgenaue Fördermöglichkeiten zu entwickeln. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es, den Zusammenhang von motorischen und kognitiven Leistungen zu untersuchen. Es wurden die Testergebnisse von 87 Kindern im Alter von drei bis sechs Jahren im Motoriktest LoMo 3 – 6 mit denen in der WPPSI-IV korreliert. Die Ergebnisse sprechen dafür, dass motorische Leistungen insbesondere mit visuellen Leistungen und der Verarbeitungsgeschwindigkeit assoziiert sind. Ein Subgruppenvergleich zwischen motorisch unterdurchschnittlich, durchschnittlich und überdurchschnittlich entwickelten Kindern zeigt, dass sich diese besonders in den Indizes Visuell-Räumliche Verarbeitung und Verarbeitungsgeschwindigkeit unterscheiden. Programme zur Bewegungsförderung sollten Aspekte der feinmotorischen Koordination, Objektkontrolle sowie der bilateralen Körperkoordination beinhalten, da diese Bereiche motorischer Kompetenz eng mit visuell-räumlichen Funktionen sowie der kognitiven Verarbeitungsgeschwindigkeit in Verbindung gebracht werden.

Studies show that ADHD, conduct disorders, and anxiety disorders are clinical disorders mostly diagnosed in schoolstarters. The preschool medical examination in Bremen was therefore extended by behavioral screenings. Based on their screening results from the SEU (health examination for school entry) 2011 in Bremen, 67 preschoolers were tested for behavioral disorders. Subsequently, children with behavioral or emotional symptoms (N = 56) were compared to symptomfree controls (N = 52) for their cognitive, motoric, linguistic, and social-emotional development. Psychosocial health was obtained through external assessment by the parents and kindergarten teachers. Results of the WPPSI-III, M-ABC-2, and ET 6-6 were included in the analysis. 32 children met the criteria for behavioral disorders. Children with behavioral or emotional symptoms showed significant lower scores on tests measuring cognitive, motoric, linguistic and emotional development compared to controls. Results suggest that there is necessity to screen all preschoolers for behavioral disorders before entering school. Because children with clinical or subclinical behavioral disorders showed major developmental deficits compared to children without behavioral symptoms, it is essential to conduct a multiple assessment on children with suspected behavioral disorders to ensure early developmental support and adequate interventional programs.

Cognitive Profiles of Preschool Children with Developmental Coordination Disorders and ADHD Studies confirm that developmental coordination disorders (DCD) are often accompanied by ADHD. It is important to know why children with combined disorders show a special profile in a common intelligence test (WPPSI-III). For this purpose, the WPPSI-III results of a total of 125 children aged five to six years with diagnosed isolated DCD, isolated ADHD, combined disorders and a normative sample were compared. Children with isolated ADHD showed the best cognitive profile. Children of all three diagnosis subgroups presented significantly poorer abilities in all WPPSI-III scales than the normative sample. In comparison with preschoolers showing isolated ADHD, children with DCD and ADHD have a significant lower Processing Speed Quotient.

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