This child-friendly version of the Test of Attentional Performance version was created to ensure optimal motivation for children during testing by providing a design suitable especially for younger children. By increasing motivation and compliance, validity of test values should be maximized.
Great importance is attached to the attentional performance of school-age children, particularly regarding school lessons. Assessing attention in school children is crucial for the several different diagnostic questions. There is however a current lack of test instruments specifically designed to provide a differential measure of young school children's attentional abilities.
The test battery Test of Attentional Performance for Children was constructed with particular attention paid to the same consideration that applied to the adult version of the test battery. The development of these tests entailed the adaptation of the central procedures of TAP in a child-friendly form. The choice of tests is based on the analysis of data from 148 children between the age of 6 and 10 years that were tested with TAP. A factor analysis of the data revealed a factor structure with five independent aspects or factors which are represented each by a TAP subtest. The factors could be interpreted as "Speed" (Alertness), "Flexibility" (Flexibility), "Divided attention" (Divided Attention), "Reaction control" (Go/Nogo) and "Visual scanning performance" (Visual Scanning). Additionally, the following subtests have been implemented: "Distractibility", "Vigilance" and "Sustained Attention".
Performance is assessed by the number of omissions and errors as well as reaction times, norm values are given taking age and gender into account.