A comparison of teacher checklists used over 15 days and a one-day antecedent analysis to conduct a medication trial

A one-day antecedent analysis and an extended school-based double-blind medication trial were used to assess the effects of Ritalin on the disruptive behavior of a child diagnosed with ADHD. The evaluations took place in an outpatient clinic and in the child's general education classroom. The results of both evaluations indicated that the medication had a positive effect on reducing disruptive behaviors. The investigation suggests that the one-day antecedent analysis procedure could be used as an initial evaluation of the use of Ritalin. More importantly, the one-day trial provided results similar to the outcomes obtained during the school-based evaluation.