A DVD that uses American Sign Language and English-based sign language to test for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in deaf and hard-of-hearing adults is now available.

Researchers at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology (NTID), Rochester, NY, have developed the test in response to the estimated incidence of ADHD in the deaf and hard-of-hearing population being as high as 38%, according to a statement from the Institute.

Existing tests printed in English are not valid for many individuals who typically depend on sign language for accurate communication and whose first language is often not English, says the Institute.

The Attention Deficit Scales for Adults: Sign Language version is a linguistically accessible ADHD assessment instrument for deaf and hard-of-hearing adults. It is a computerized sign language version of the original Attention Deficit Scales for Adults published by Santo J. Triolo and Kevin R. Murphy in 1996, says the Institute.

The test uses an interactive interface to present instructions and items in ASL or in English-based sign language, with optional voicing, along with English captions. Clients view and respond to 54 statements, such as, “I get restless easily,” indicating the frequency with which each statement accurately describes them.

The DVD is the result of collaboration at NTID among experts in deaf education, sign language translation, media production, and programming. Clinical psychologists and several members of Rochester’s deaf community also were consulted about the usability of this test, according to the Institute.

The DVD, which works on PC and Macintosh computers, includes the interactive test software and two manuals for test administration and interpretation of automatically generated test results.

For more information, visit the Web site or call NTID at (585) 475-6906 V/TTY.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder produces distractibility, impulsivity, and hyperactivity which create an enormous challenge to learning in a traditional classroom and multimedia learning environments and functioning in the workplace and other settings, says the Institute. It has recently been recognized that ADHD is a biological disorder that persists throughout the lifespan; the incidence of ADHD in the hearing population is estimated at approximately 5% and in the deaf population at between 5% and 38%, according to the Institute.

[Source: NTID]