The authors report on a study designed to assess teachers' attitudes toward the use of Ritalin in the treatment of hyperkinesis in school children. Overall, the attitudes of teachers are cautiously favorable. Although teachers commonly have experience with a pupil using Ritalin, specific and accurate information about the drug is uncommon. (RP)

These data support the notion that amount of maternal involvement in task solution is determined partly by task difficulty and the child's ability to complete the tasks presented. (Author)

The column briefly reviews current research and thinking on such topics as a genetic basis for LD (learning disabilities), sleep electroencephalography patterns of hyperactive children, psychological traits of parents of LD children, early intervention for LD students, and external locus of control in LD schools. (CL)

Of 10 mildly retarded children (4 to 15 years old) with attention deficit disorders who were involved in an outpatient, double blind, active drug and placebo crossover study using methylphenidate, five children responded positively to active medication as measured by improvement in the Conners' rating forms for parents and teachers. (Author)

The Rorschach protocols of 20 boys (ages 6-11 years) rated by their teachers as hyperactive and those of 20 nonhyperactive boys were compared along 16 indices. Findings are discussed in terms of the assessment of hyperactivity within a conceptual framework which regards impulsivity as a major underlying dimension. (Author/SJL)

The author offers teachers suggestions for dealing with hyperactive children in such areas as reducing distractibility, controlling impulsivity, and promoting interpersonal skills and adjustment. (SW)

When hyperactive boys were taking placebos, they were involved in more negative incidents, their handwriting was poorer, and their names were called more frequently than when the boys were taking methylphenidate. (Author)

Research on the effects of stimulant drugs on attention and cognitive deficits in children with hyperactivity is reviewed. Topics covered include: attention and impulsivity, paired associate learning, school achievement, and drug induced attention and cognitive deficits. (CL)

To aid in the identification and treatment of hyperkinesis, parent and teacher rating scales were developed. Analysis of parent ratings indicated three factors: excitability; motor coordination; and directed attention. Analysis of the teacher form yielded similar factors. Analysis of variance of each factor score revealed significant differences…

A state-of-the-art review of childhood hyperactivity, conclusions from empirical findings, and implications for clinical work are presented. Diagnosis and etiology of hyperactivity are explored with emphasis on the multivariate aspects of the disorder and the difficulty of specifying behavior which is by definition unpredictable. (PHR)

The effects of feedback on the approaches of 20 hyperactive and 20 hypoactive children (ages 6 to 10) to a vigilance task were studied. Results showed that hyperactive Ss had more errors than hypoactive Ss under the feedback for correct responses condition and fewer errors under the feedback for false alarms condition. (PHR)

The effects of task-overlapping linguistic noise on activity and performance of hyperactive and control children were assessed. Results suggest that task difficulty may play a role in the effects of overlapping stimulation on both groups. (Author/GK)