A coaching intervention for college students with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

In this article we describe coaching as an intervention for college students with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Coaching college students with ADHD empowers individuals to organize and execute their responsibilities, both in academia and in everyday life. With the assistance of a coach, individuals with ADHD can create structure and execute change by identifying strategies that circumvent their deficits in executive functioning. We also present an example of a representative client to illustrate the methods used in coaching. Given the increased risks facing college students with ADHD, coaching is a useful complement to academic advising and intensive therapy. Our discussion includes obstacles to implementing and evaluating an ADHD coaching intervention. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 42: 647–656, 2005.     

Developmental Changes in Attention and Comprehension Among Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Changes in visual attention and story comprehension for children (N = 132) with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and comparison peers were examined. Between the ages of 7 and 9 (Phase 1) and approximately 21 months later (Phase 2), children viewed 2 televised stories: 1 in the presence of toys and 1 in their absence. Both groups of children showed developmental increases in visual attention and stable group differences over time. Deficits in comprehension among children with ADHD, however, increased over time. Whereas comparison children’s recall of factual and causal information increased over time in both viewing conditions, children with ADHD showed no developmental improvement in recall of factual information in the toys‐present condition and no improvement in recall of causal relations in either viewing condition.     

The Role of Surface Text Processing in Centrality Deficit and Poor Text Comprehension of Adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Think‐Aloud Study

The present study employed a think‐aloud method to explore the origin of centrality deficit (i.e., poor recall of central ideas) in individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Moreover, utilizing the diverse think‐aloud responses, we examined the overall quality of text processing employed by individuals with ADHD during reading, in order to shed more light on text‐level deficiencies underlying their poor comprehension after reading. To address these goals, adolescents with and without ADHD were asked to state aloud whatever comes to their minds during the reading of two expository texts. After reading, the participants freely recalled text ideas and answered multiple‐choice questions on the texts. Compared to controls, participants with ADHD generated fewer responses that reflect deep, efficient text processing, and reinstated fewer prior text ideas, particularly central ones, during reading. Moreover, the proportions of deep processing responses positively associated with participants’ performance on recall and comprehension tasks. These findings suggest that individuals with ADHD exhibit poor text comprehension and memory, particularly of central ideas, because they construct a low‐quality, less‐connected text representation during reading, and produce fewer, less‐elaborated retrieval cues for subsequent tasks after reading.     

A Methylome‐Wide Association Study of Trajectories of Oppositional Defiant Behaviors and Biological Overlap With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

In 671 mother–child (49% male) pairs from an epidemiological birth cohort, we investigated (a) prospective associations between DNA methylation (at birth) and trajectories (ages 7–13) of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and the ODD subdimensions of irritable and headstrong; (b) common biological pathways, indexed by DNA methylation, between ODD trajectories and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); (c) genetic influence on DNA methylation; and (d) prenatal risk exposure associations. Methylome‐wide significant associations were identified for the ODD and headstrong, but not for irritable. Overlap analysis indicated biological correlates between ODD, headstrong, and ADHD. DNA methylation in ODD and headstrong was (to a degree) genetically influenced. DNA methylation associated with prenatal risk exposures of maternal anxiety (headstrong) and cigarette smoking (ODD and headstrong).     

Response Inhibition,Memory, and Attention in Boys with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Newly developed measures of response inhibition, verbal and non-verbal memory, and attention were applied to a sample of boys diagnosed with ADHD (n = 50; 14 predominantly inattentive type and 36 combined type) with no diagnosed comorbid conditions, who had received no stimulant medication for a minimum period of 20 hours prior to test administration. Performance was assessed relative to 50 individually age-matched control boys. Results revealed significant multivariate group differences on all three tests, supported by univariate effects on measures of verbal memory and attentional switching. In all cases, ADHD boys performed more poorly than the control boys. However, contrary to expectations, boys with ADHD made significantly fewer impulsive responses (false positives) on the specific measure of response, despite recording significantly more misses than the controls. Furthermore, no significant differences were observed according to ADHD subtype. The present research therefore demonstrates and more fully characterises the nature of the observed memory and attentional impairments in boys with ADHD and would appear to have clear implications for education and the further development of theory.     

Efficacy of an Intervention Program for Attention and Reflexivity in Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

There has been increasing evidence in recent years of the need to adapt intervention programs to the specific needs of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The main goal of this research work was to study the efficacy of an educational intervention program to improve attention and reflexivity in school children with ADHD in order to verify the improvements in symptoms associated with ADHD such as aggressivity, social isolation, anxiety, and attention deficit. The sample was comprised of 26 primary school children ranging from 7 to 10 years of age with ADHD. Symptoms of children with ADHD were evaluated by applying the Escalas Magallanes Screening Scale for Attention Deficits and Other Developmental Problems in Children (EMA‐DDA) at two time points (pre and post). The results show a statistically significant reduction in symptoms on the aggressivity and social isolation scales measured with the EMA‐DDA after applying the intervention program. These data supports the potential value of an intervention program for working with ADHD children.     

Peer victimization in children with Attention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

This study explored peer victimization in 9‐ to 14‐year‐old children with and without Attention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The sample comprised 104 children, 52 of whom had a previous ADHD diagnosis. Children with ADHD had higher overall rates of self‐reported victimization by peers and parent‐ and teacher‐reported bullying behavior than did children without ADHD. The rates of victimization were especially high for girls with ADHD. Furthermore, children with ADHD reported higher frequencies of verbal, physical, and relational victimization than did children without ADHD. When data were pooled from children, parents, and teachers, children with ADHD were categorized as victims, bullies, and bully/victims significantly more often than were children without ADHD. Parent ratings of ADHD symptoms predicted self‐reported victimization by peers. Neither parent‐rated anxious‐shy behaviors nor parent‐ and teacher‐rated social skills predicted victimization by peers over and above ADHD symptoms. Parent ratings of oppositional behavior mediated the relationship between ADHD symptoms and parent‐ and teacher‐rated bullying. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Impact of the School Environment on Medical Treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Population-Wide Register Data Study of School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports

Although attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is among the most heritable psychiatric childhood disorders, social and gene–environment interactions seemingly play an important role in the etiology of ADHD. Consistent with this, this study finds that School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) reduced the likelihood of pharmacotherapeutic treatment for ADHD at age 14–16 by 12%, using population-wide Norwegian register data and a difference-in-difference design (N = 698,364, birth cohorts 1990–2002, 48.7% girls, 5.7% immigrant background). At-risk students in schools with high fidelity of implementation are driving these intervention effects. Overall, the findings indicate that children with a genetic disposition for ADHD are more likely to avoid medical treatment in an organized and predictable school setting with a focus on positive reinforcement.     

A Design Thinking Model Based on Quantitative Electroencephalography in Social Emotional Learning for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

To design a social and emotional learning (SEL) skills training program for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Quantitative electroencephalography was analyzed, focusing on the strengths and weaknesses in the brain mapping performance (BMP) of children. A total of 305 participants with and without ADHD were recruited. Theta relative power was analyzed using stepwise multiple regression. Twelve brain locations were further predicted using a design thinking model to develop a reasonable prototype via crossover methods. Both strengths and weaknesses were found at the T5 and F7 brain regions in the ADHD group. The Fz region was a well‐defined predictor in both groups. The co‐predictors of both groups were F3 and F4. No comparison was suggested to enhance positive performance in either group of children. The SEL program could be designed based on a good‐fit model of the BMP of these subcomponents of primary brain functions.     

Knowledge about Attention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A comparison of in‐service and preservice teachers

Attention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common childhood disorder, yet relatively little research has assessed teachers' knowledge of this disorder or how teacher characteristics affect such knowledge. There also is a dearth of research comparing in‐service and preservice teachers' knowledge about ADHD. The aims of this study were (a) to investigate the relationships between various teacher characteristics and teachers' knowledge about ADHD, and (b) to compare perceived and actual ADHD knowledge across in‐service and preservice primary‐school teachers. Participants included 120 primary‐school teachers and 45 final‐year education undergraduates who were asked to complete a questionnaire. Two of the five hypotheses were supported: (a) that knowledge would be significantly correlated with experience in teaching a child with ADHD and (b) that in‐service teachers would obtain higher scores than preservice teachers on the actual knowledge (about ADHD) questionnaire. Implications stemming from this research include ensuring that teachers receive more training about ADHD and greater exposure to students with ADHD in the classroom. Overall, this study highlighted that deficits in teachers' knowledge about ADHD are common for both in‐service and preservice teachers. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 41: 517–526, 2004.     

Writing Characteristics of Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder: A Meta‐Analysis

Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders (ADHD) frequently experience significant difficulty mastering basic academic skills. This meta‐analysis focuses on one specific potential area of learning difficulties for these students: namely, writing. To identify the extent and depth of the potential writing challenges faced by students with ADHD, we conducted a meta‐analysis comparing the writing performance of grade 1 to 12 students with ADHD to their normally achieving peers. We located 44 papers, yielding 45 studies with 87 effect sizes. The average weighted effect sizes showed that students with ADHD obtained lower scores than their normally achieving peers for writing quality (–0.78), output (–0.64), number of genre elements (–0.69), vocabulary (–0.76), spelling (–0.80), and handwriting (–0.62). Contrary to expectations, moderator analyses found that neither study quality nor the source from which ADHD students were drawn (i.e., school/community vs. clinic/hospital) accounted for variability above sampling error alone.     

Long‐Term Episodic Memory in Children with Attention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Twenty‐nine grade‐matched 4th–8th‐grade males, 12 with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (age M= 12.2 years, SD= 1.48), and 17 without (age M= 11.5, SD= 1.59), completed two working memory tasks (digit span and the Simon game) and three long‐term episodic memory tasks (a personal event memory task, story memory task, and picture recognition task). In line with clinical observations, children with ADHD performed worse than peers on all working memory tasks, but performed as well as or better than peers on long‐term episodic tasks, demonstrating particularly detailed memory for personally experienced past events. Participants' parents also completed questionnaires about their children's memories in daily life. Parents rated children with ADHD lower than children without ADHD on working and semantic memory (e.g., remembering names, spelling, and math), but rated them as high or higher on memory for events. Implications for theory and educational practice are discussed.     

注意缺陷多动障碍儿童社会交往问题教育干预研究述评

注意缺陷多动障碍儿童在社交方面存在显著困难,教育干预对其提高人际交往技能和社会适应性具有显著作用.该领域的研究主要集中在注意缺陷多动障碍儿童社交问题的家庭干预、群体干预、综合干预方面.后继研究应扩大研究对象的类型,进一步提高干预的可迁移性.     

The Body as a Site of Reproduction and Resistance: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and the Classroom

In addition to transferring ideas, one of the primary tasks of schools, as theorized in the work of Pierre Bourdieu, is to monitor and shape bodies. The category of Attention Deficity Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and the practices associated with it can be understood more thoroughly as a way in which schools reproduce a body management system. This article reviews the historical and critical literature on ADHD to show that the classroom has had, and still has, an essential place in the origination and implementation of the category; yet, the classroom context has been virtually absent from the causal analysis. The classroom has received attention from those in the behaviour modification camp, but this approach has reduced it to a set of contingencies between the teacher and the student. More often than not, the biological explanation has dominated thus entirely removing the classroom and its meanings from the explanation of ADHD. The classroom is one of the critical mechanisms which allows for the emergence of the behaviours and the practices associated with the category known as ADHD.     

Vocational Safety Preference of College Men With and Without Attention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: An Exploratory Study

For college students with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which is associated with increased accidental injury, mindfulness regarding safety issues in vocational choice may be indicated. In this study, a group of male college students with ADHD‐predominantly inattentive type (ADHD‐IA) reported placing less emphasis on job safety than did their peers when considering their professional direction. College counselors might help prevent work‐related injury for similar clients by broaching the topic of safety when discussing vocational choice.     

Assessment of teacher and school psychologist knowledge of Attention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

The purpose of this study was to investigate teacher and school psychologists' knowledge of Attention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). One hundred thirty‐two kindergarten through 12th‐grade general education teachers, special education teachers, and school psychologists responded to a 24‐item questionnaire concerning treatment and possible causes of ADHD. The results supported the hypothesis that school psychologists' knowledge level of ADHD would be significantly greater than the knowledge level of special and general education teachers, but did not support the hypothesis that the knowledge level of special education teachers would be significantly greater than the knowledge level of general education teachers. Increased years of professional experience was negatively associated with increased knowledge about ADHD. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Distinguishing and Improving Mouse Behavior With Educational Computer Games in Young Children With Autistic Spectrum Disorder or Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: An Executive Function‐Based Interpretation

In this exploratory multiple case study, it is examined how a computer game focused on improving ineffective learning behavior can be used as a tool to assess, improve, and study real‐time mouse behavior (MB) in different types of children: 18 children (3.8–6.3 years) with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), or comorbid ASD and ADHD, and 5 effectively learning (EL) children (3.5–3.8 years). The children's MB processes, for example “Errors” and “Reaction times,” were interpreted in terms of executive functions (EFs). Trajectories of averaged MB were compared among the groups of ASD, ADHD, comorbid, and EL children. Clinical groups showed differences in their MB, which were similar to the expected differences based on EF tests. In addition, a case study of a typical ASD, ADHD, and EL child was included in order to demonstrate typical individual MB patterns across time. MB processes might therefore provide a window into the processes of EF (dys)functioning.     

学龄前儿童执行功能与注意缺陷多动症状的元分析:抑制控制和工作记忆的作用

注意缺陷多动障碍(ADHD)的执行功能缺陷理论已在学龄期儿童和青少年中被广泛证明,学龄前是执行功能发展的重要时期,学龄前儿童执行功能与ADHD症状的关系尚存争议.采用元分析的方法整合国内外近十年的文献,探讨学龄前儿童执行功能与ADHD症状的关系,并分析影响因素.通过文献检索,纳入符合要求的文献28篇,共70个有效数据,...     

Attention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms,Perceived Stress,and Resilience in College Students

This research investigated the relationships among symptoms associated with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), perceived stress, and resilience in college students. In our study of 558 college students (175 men, 383 women), we confirmed the hypothesis that the relationship between ADHD symptoms and perceived stress is mediated by protective factors associated with resilience. The relationships were not significantly moderated by sex. Implications for increasing resilience in college students and lowering perceived stress for college students are discussed.     

In search of a middle ground: the dangers and affordances of diagnosis in relation to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Developmental Language Disorder

ABSTRACT

In this paper, we draw on the ‘dilemma of difference’ to discuss the dangers and affordances of diagnosis within two of the most prevalent, yet under-supported, disabilities affecting school-age children: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Developmental Language Disorder (DLD). The dilemma that exists between denying and thereby ignoring difference on the one hand, versus recognising and potentially stigmatising difference on the other, will be explored and the consequences outlined. Our aim is to achieve a middle ground that conceives of diagnosis as a helpful starting point to enable educators to address barriers to access and participation through appropriate adjustments to curriculum, pedagogy and assessment.