Data from a variety of clinical populations (mentally retarded, autistic, hyperactive and normal children) and animals are reviewed. An attentional model is proposed to account for type of therapeutic response to stimulant medication. (Author)

Research relating to drug effects on academic attainment in children with pronounced learning problems is reviewed. Laboratory studies on the use of stimulants, antidepressants, and antipsychotics are surveyed. Problems with diagnosis are considered and the relationship of drugs and learning disabilities is discussed. (PHR)

We used an assessment that involved competing reinforcer dimensions in a concurrent-schedules arrangement to examine the effects of stimulant medication on impulsivity (i.e., sensitivity of choices to reinforcer immediacy relative to rate, quality, and effort) with 4 students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The assessments were…

Twenty-six children (ages 5-12) with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder were tested before and after treatment with methylphenidate. Few performance tests predicted clinical response to medication. Chronological age and performance on a memory distraction task and the Graduated Holes Task were moderately correlated with clinical outcome.…