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Developmental profiles on the basis of the FTF (Five to Fifteen) questionnaire

Clinical validity and utility of the FTF in a child psychiatric sample

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Abstract

The Five to Fifteen parent questionnaire (FTF) was developed to offer a neuropsychological dimension to the assessment of children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and other child psychiatric disorders. The domains included in the FTF were motor skills, executive functions, perception, memory, language, social skills and learning, in addition to a domain for emotional and behavioural problems. The aim of the present study was to test the clinical validity and utility of the FTF with a main focus on discriminant and criterion validity. The clinical sample consisted of 155 clinically diagnosed children (ICD-10 criteria), 102 were tested with WISC-III. The parents rated their children independent of the diagnostic evaluation. The results were presented as profiles. These clinical profiles were compared to those of a Swedish norm sample consisting of 854 children from the age of five to fifteen. Results demonstrated that the profiles for the clinical groups were similar in forms and levels to those of the upper 10 percent of the norm sample (those with most difficulties). Five out of eight FTF domains discriminated significantly between diagnostic groups in the clinical sample. Influence of IQ, gender and age on the results were low. Three out of four relevant FTF domains correlated significantly with corresponding WISC-III indexes/measures. The clinical utility of individual children’s profiles were demonstrated. On the whole, the findings supported the clinical validity and utility of the FTF.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychiatric Hospital for Children and Adolescents, University Hospital of Aarhus, Harald Selmervej 66, 8240, Risskov, Denmark

    Anegen Trillingsgaard, Dorte Damm & Per Hove Thomsen

  2. Psychiatric Hospital for Children and Adolescents in the County of Ribe, Gl.Vardevej 101, 6715, Esbjerg N, Denmark

    Søren Sommer

  3. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Copenhagen University Hospital Bispebjerg, Bispebjerg Bakke 28, 2400, Copenhagen NV, Denmark

    Jens Richardt M. Jepsen

  4. Institute of Psychology, Aarhus University, Asylvej 6, 8240, Risskov, Denmark

    Ole Østergaard

  5. Department of Biostatistics, Aarhus University, Vennelyst Boulevard 6, 2000, Aarhus, Denmark

    Morten Frydenberg

Authors
  1. Anegen Trillingsgaard
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  2. Dorte Damm
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  4. Jens Richardt M. Jepsen
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  5. Ole Østergaard
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  6. Morten Frydenberg
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  7. Per Hove Thomsen
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Trillingsgaard, A., Damm, D., Sommer, S. et al. Developmental profiles on the basis of the FTF (Five to Fifteen) questionnaire. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 13 (Suppl 3), iii39–iii49 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-004-3006-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-004-3006-y

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