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Why can parent and teacher Vanderbilt scores differ?

Home and school ask different things of a child, and each rater sees a different part of the day. Structure, subject, seating and existing support all change what gets observed. A gap between parent and teacher scores is information about where difficulty appears, not a sign that someone rated incorrectly.

Key points

  • Different settings create different demands.
  • Classroom routine can mask or amplify difficulty.
  • Raters use different comparison groups.
  • A setting-specific pattern changes what to try next.

The fuller answer

If attention holds during structured lessons but collapses during homework, the useful question is what the structure is providing, not which adult is right.

Comparing the two views is the entire point of multi-rater measurement.

What to do next

Keep both views in one place so the comparison is visible at the next visit.

Related reading

Primary sources

  1. 1. NICHQ Vanderbilt Assessment Scales (first edition, 2002) (opens in a new tab), National Institute for Children's Health Quality (NICHQ) (2002)
  • Author: Threaded Care editorial team

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