The ACID pattern and the freedom from distractibility factor in a child psychiatric population

Abstract

The prevalence of the ACID pattern and the Freedom From Distractibility factor were compared in a child psychiatric population. The ACID pattern consists of an impairment in the Arithmetic, Coding, Information, and Digit Span subtest scores relative to the remaining subtests. An impairment in the Freedom From Distractibility factor requires that Coding, Arithmetic, and the Digit Span subtest scores be lower relative to the mean PIQ and VIQ. Although the ACID pattern was present in grouped data, very few individuals actually had such a profile (.6%). The pattern reflecting disorders in the Freedom From Distractibility factor was a prominent feature in this population, occurring in 11% of the children. Such distractible children were found to have a significantly higher VIQ and FSIQ and were more likely to demonstrate a learning disability than the remaining psychiatric group. Interestingly, a factor analysis indicates that the Freedom From Distractibility factor in a psychiatric population includes the Block Design subtest of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children‐Revised (WISC‐R) in addition to the usual Coding, Arithmetic and Digit span subtests found in the normal population.