Rey-Osterrieth and Taylor complex figures: Equivalent measures of visual organization and visual memory in ADHD and normal children

The Rey-Osterrieth and Taylor complex figures are considered equivalent measures of visual construction and memory. Some investigators have recently questioned this equivalence in adults. The present investigation addresses the question of equivalence of the two figures for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder and for normal children. Thirty hyperactive children of normal intelligence and 20 matched normal controls were administered the two complex designs. Scoring was performed according to the standard itemized procedure (Lezak, 1983) and the organization component of the scoring system described by Waber and Holmes (1985). Results demonstrated no difference between the designs. This suggests that children find them equally difficult both for copy and for recall. The clinical implications of using one or the other of the two scoring approaches are discussed.