Attention deficits and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (AD-HD) are regarded as relatively common disorders among school-age children, but the literature reveals several confounding factors with the standard assessment techniques for the disorder. Using a structured thematic apperception technique (the TEMAS Apperception Test of G. Costantino et al., 1988) to measure attention to pictorial stimuli depicting characters, events, settings, and covert psychological conflicts, a study was conducted with 163 normal Hispanic, Black, and White school-age children and 95 Hispanic, Black, and White child and adolescent outpatients with AD-HD. The AD-HD children were significantly more likely than were the normal children to omit information in the stimuli about characters, events, settings, and psychological conflicts. Differences between the groups were large and persistent in the presence of structured inquiries by the test examiners. Results suggest the potential utility of structured thematic apperception techniques for the assessment of AD-HD to facilitate clinical (DSM-III-R) diagnosis and to invite closer scrutiny in carefully controlled validity studies. Three tables and one figure present study data. (SLD)