In an investigation of the distractibility of hyperactive children and controls (N=24) in a focused attention task, differences in task efficiency were not significant. Differences in error percentages were associated with IQ. Variable reaction times in hyperactives are not to be explained in terms of a focused attention deficit. (JW)

Examined group parent training program aimed at improving child compliance in families with attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity (ADDH) preschoolers. Evaluated treatment outcome by comparing groups on measures of parent-child interactions, compliance task, parent-supervised activities, and parent-completed Conners Hyperkinesis Index…

A study of third- and fourth-grade students found no significant differences between underachieving and normally achieving children for the measures of cognitive-impulsivity, selective attention, and sustained attention. However, significant differentiation was provided by teacher ratings indicating poorer classroom behavior, lack of attention,…

Reports the opinions of 101 rural Arizona teachers on (1) the effectiveness of various classroom strategies used with hyperactive students; (2) the helpfulness of advice given by other professionals and parents about handling such students; and (3) the adequacy of preservice training in needed skills. Contains 11 references. (SV)

The study with 51 boys (ages 7 to 9 years) found that subjects classified as having both attention deficit disorder/hyperactivity and learning disabilities demonstrated the most external locus of control with subjects classified as only learning-disabled intermediate and subjects classified as only having attention deficit disorder/hyperactivity…

Evaluation of 86 medical students and physicians, referred for possible learning problems, found that most subjects had either a learning disability or attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); 21 subjects had a reading learning disability; and 15 had both a reading disability and ADHD. Sequential information processing appeared to be the…

Reviewed 39 empirical studies in which direct observational methods were used to assess children in whom attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) had been diagnosed. Found that classroom studies distinguished ADHD children from comparison groups better than laboratory studies. Behaviors that most consistently distinguished ADHD children…

Psychometric properties of a laboratory paradigm for measuring stealing, property destruction, and cheating were explored, and the viability of the construct of covert antisocial behavior was studied in 98 children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and 78 comparisons. Psychometric and ethical issues in assessment of covert behavior are…

Six boys, aged 9 to 12, attended a tutoring class focusing on reading for 30 minutes each morning. Six, 10-day treatment periods were imposed that used various combinations of drug placebo, noncontingent reinforcers, 0.3 mg/kg methylphenidate, 0.7 mg/kg methylphenidate, and self-reinforcement. The combined effects of methylphenidate and…

Examines role of school psychologist in managing services for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in relation to legal mandates and recent trends in ADHD research and the practice of school psychology. Considers limitations of school-based model; emphasizes need for close collaboration between school- and clinic-based…

This article summarizes the literature on attention deficit disorders (both with and without hyperactivity), diagnostic criteria, the disorder's prevalence, developmental course, and proposed etiologies. A conceptual framework for designing a comprehensive assessment battery is presented with specific attention to the relationship between…

This paper postulates that cultural and societal factors have exerted a powerful force on the conceptualization and treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. A functional assessment approach is presented, along with a model for classifying performance deficits and methods for selecting intervention strategies based on the model.…

Examined diagnostic efficiency of symptoms for experimentally diagnosed oppositional defiant disorder (OD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in 102 elementary-age boys. Findings from teacher ratings revealed that, on average, ADHD symptoms were as useful as OD symptoms as exclusion criteria for OD, whereas OD symptoms were nearly…

Grandparents' and mothers' drug use predicted hyperactivity, psychosomatic complaints, and social problems for boys, and acting-out behaviors for boys and girls. Maternal drug use predicted fearfulness, hyperactivity, and social problems for boys, and developmental problems for boys and girls. (BC)

The literature review finds valid the distinction within the diagnostic category of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) of either the presence or absence of hyperactivity. ADD children without hyperactivity exhibit less serious conduct problems, are less impulsive, less rejected by peers, but more socially withdrawn, and more likely to exhibit…