ADHD in the Classroom
Untreated ADHD can impair a child’s ability to succeed in the classroom; affecting one’s ability to regulate attention, comprehend class assignments and get them completed on time. In fact, a recent meta analysis of 176 studies concluded that: “ADHD adversely affects long-term academic outcomes” [1].
As teaching professionals, it may be possible to spot these signs, however, determining the likelihood of a child having ADHD is much more complex and too often driven by subjectivity. That is where QbCheck comes in – the FDA cleared online assessment tool for ADHD, available for Mac and PC.
What is QbCheck?
QbCheck is a 15-20 minute computer-based test that measures the core symptoms of ADHD: inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. Designed specifically to be administered by specialist teachers, such as SENCOs or special educational needs co-ordinators, and healthcare professionals.
The task involves tracking a series of shapes that appear on the computer screen and pressing the space bar each time the correct shape or sequence appears. There are two age adjusted versions – one for 6 – 11 year olds, and another for 12 – 60 year olds, and easy-to-understand instructions as well as a practice test is provided to ensure task understanding.
The 6-11 year old task
The 12-60 year old task
Want to learn more about QbCheck?
During the test, all three core symptoms are measured simultaneously. Inattention and impulsivity are measured based on the responses during the computer-task, while activity is captured using the motion tracking capability in your Mac or PC’s web camera. At the end of the test, an easy-to-interpret report is generated, and e-learning modules are available to QbCheck users to support test interpretation.
The scores are based on a comparison to a control group of people of the same age and gender who have and who do not have ADHD.
It uses this comparison to determine the likelihood that this test taker presents with ADHD symptoms or not, thus allowing to make confident decisions regarding classroom interventions and referrals, and to have informed conversations with parents/guardians.
Getting started with QbCheck
To ensure a successful sign up and test experience you will need a PC or Mac with an inbuilt or connected web came, and your PC or Mac requires an Intel Core i5 processor or above.
QbCheck is available online and you can sign up here.
When you sign up, a one time start fee is charged and for following tests you will be charged on a pay-as-you-go basis. You can find full details of pricing here.
Want to learn more?
If you want to learn more about QbCheck, don’t hesitate – get in touch today or book a call.
[1] Arnold et al. (2020). Long-Term Outcomes of ADHD: Academic Achievement and Performance, Journal of Attention Disorders [online] 24 (1) 73–85 Available from: https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054714566076