Chapter 5 - Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Abstract

The advantages and limitations of categorical approaches to assessing and diagnosing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are considered. A functional analytic approach is then described in which the aim is to understand environmental conditions that may maintain or exacerbate specific problem behaviors associated with ADHD in order to develop effective interventions. Different functional assessment methods are explained, including variations of typical functional analysis procedures and those that objectively examine sensitivity to immediacy of reinforcement (characterizing impulsivity) or to other dimensions that differentially affect an individual's behavior. An overview of treatments for ADHD follows. The chapter concludes with a case study that illustrates how assessment results were used to design a classroom intervention that successfully addressed a student's low academic productivity and accuracy and his classroom disruptions during independent seatwork.