Assessing deaf college students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function - Adult Version versus CAARS

This study examined the sensitivity of two instruments used in assessing Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) with deaf individuals. Forty deaf college students, 20 with a diagnosis of ADHD and 20 controls, completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function - Adult Version (BRIEF-A) and the Connors' Adult ADHD Rating Scale (CAARS). An analysis of variance (ANOVA), multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA), and sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value analyses found that both the BRIEF-A and CAARS were adequate behavior rating scales for measuring ADHD symptoms in a deaf population. Results also revealed that the BRIEF-A was a more specific measure whereas the CAARS was a more sensitive measure.