A very common cause of children's behavior disorder disturbance is an entity described as the hyperkinetic impulse disorder. This is characterized by hyperactivity, short attention span and poor powers of concentration, irritability, impulsiveness, variability, and poor schoolwork. The existence of this complexity may lead to many psychological…

Children seem to naturally gravitate to particular interests, be it sports, the arts, or any of a myriad of other pursuits. Their area of interest seems an integral part of who they are so that they seem to have been "born that way." Even when a child is challenged--physically, cognitively, behaviorally, emotionally--their essence still seems to…

Over the past 50 years the concept of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has developed from the notion of a specific form of brain dysfunction to that of a heterogeneous set of related behaviours. The great advances in genetics, neuroimaging and neuropsychiatry have made it one of the best understood forms of complex mental…

The studies included in this special issue add significantly to the nascent literature on teacher consultation models for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and provide wonderful illustrations of how teachers might "unpack" and better understand their interventions. In this introductory essay, the authors offer suggestions for future…

This article is part of a series exploring Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). In this seventh installment, the author discusses three holistic treatments for children and adults with ADHD: diet and nutrition, sleep, and exercise. These approaches focus and improve the overall health of ADHD patients. (For Part 6 of this series, see…

Behavioral interventions have demonstrated clinical utility in improving the behavior of children with ADHD, especially in specialized therapeutic milieus (Pelham et al., 2000). Improvements in children's target behaviors often occur in the treatment settings where contingencies are in place and delivered consistently. However, generalization of…

Tell-tale signs of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) ADHD and its relative ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) include an inability to maintain attention, impulsive behaviors, and/or motor restlessness. There are three subcategories of ADHD; for the purpose of this article, the blanket term ADHD applies to all three. A crucial first step…

Parents often are left wondering how to determine if their child's behaviors are "normal" or possibly diagnostic of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or other problems. This article presents a list of general guidelines that allow parents to determine the possibility of whether their children are experiencing either ADHD or a…

Purpose: The purpose of this tutorial is to provide speech-language pathologists (SLPs) with general information regarding the most commonly prescribed medications for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; e.g., central nervous system stimulants, noradrenergic reuptake inhibitors, alpha-2 adrenergic agonists, antipsychotics,…

To learn and master new concepts, including the acquisition of new vocabulary, students must be able to sustain attention during direct instruction, stay focused throughout the guided practice activity, and successfully complete the independent practice assignments. Yet, difficulty with maintaining attention is a common characteristic for students…

Most analyses of reaction time (RT) data are conducted by using the statistical techniques with which psychologists are most familiar, such as analysis of variance on the sample mean. Unfortunately, these methods are usually inappropriate for RT data, because they have little power to detect genuine differences in RT between conditions. In…

Understanding attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has come a long way since its early description as a moral and behavioral deficit. ADHD has various subtypes, each with comorbid disabilities. Despite these advances, gaps remain in identifying and understanding girls with ADHD, especially when they have the inattentive-type ADHD. This…

Attachment influences students' school success. This is true of students' attachment to their parents, as well as to their teachers. Secure attachment is associated with higher grades and standardized test scores compared to insecure attachment. Secure attachment is also associated with greater emotional regulation, social competence, and…

The use of psychotropic medication for foster children is in itself not unique; however, these children are of particular interest because of the stress associated with their life situations. A thorough assessment of the child and family should occur before beginning these medications, and in general, they should only be used in the presence of a…

This resource guide designed for families and educators provides information on how attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is identified and treated. The resource includes sections on legal requirements, treatment options educational and medical evaluations, how ADHD affects school performance, and helpful evidence-based hints on how to…