Interviewers' notes about section J: Attention and activity
The trickiest thing in the section on attention and activity is to make
sure that parents remember that you are asking about their child
compared with other children of the same age. For example,
the first detailed question asks whether the child often fidgets.
If the mother of a five-year-old replies that her son definitely
fidgets, we need to be sure this is by comparison with other
five-year-olds. Most young children fidget. That's not what we
want to know. We are interested in whether this particular child
fidgets a lot more than other five-year-olds. Each time a parent
responds "definitely" to one of the symptoms of inattention or
overactivity, it is worth checking the response until you are sure
that they are comparing their child with other children of the same
age. Obviously enough, once you are sure they have grasped this point,
don't drive them (and yourself) mad by repeating the checks unnecessarily.
As with other sections, please emphasise that we are interested in how
the child is usually - any child is allowed the occasional 'off day'.
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Last modified : 05/09/09