And/or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Research Articles

Boys with Reading Disabilities and/or ADHD

We examined distinctions in the early childhood characteristics of boys with reading disabilities (RD) and/or attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A four-group mixed design consisting of boys identified at age 11 with reading disabilities only (RD only; n = 46), reading disabilities and ADHD (RD/ADHD; n = 16), ADHD only (n = 20), and a comparison group (n = 281) was utilized. Differences on receptive and expressive language and temperament for ages 3 and 5 were investigated. Analyses indicated that the boys from the RD-only group performed worse on measures of receptive and expressive language. The results also indicated that boys from the RD/ADHD groups consistently performed worse on measures of receptive language and exhibited more behaviors indicative of an undercontrolled temperament. In summary, we suggest that reading disabilities and ADHD represent moderately unique disorders that frequently co-occur and are characterized by distinct developmental pathways.

Tourette’s and comorbid syndromes: Obsessive compulsive and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. a common etiology?

Tourette’s syndrome (TS), a neuropsychiatric movement disorder that manifests itself in childhood, is often associated with comorbid symptomatology, such as obsessions, compulsions, hyperactivity, distractibility, and impulsivity. Epidemiological studies suggest that a substantial number of TS patients develop clinical levels of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This review aims to provide an integrated account of the three disorders in terms of their comorbidity. Neuroimaging studies suggest that all three disorders involve neuropathology of the basal-ganglia thalamocortical (BGTC) pathways: TS in the sensorimotor and limbic BGTC circuits; OCD in the prefrontal and limbic BGTC pathways; and ADHD in the sensorimotor, orbitofrontal, and limbic BGTC circuits. The pattern of comorbidity and other evidence indicates that the TS gene(s) may be responsible for a spectrum of disorders, including OCD and ADHD, but also that the disorders OCD and ADHD can exist in their own right with their own etiologies.

Beyond Ritalin: The importance of therapeutic work with parents and children diagnosed ADD/ADHD

It is estimated that as many as 5 million children in America are being medicated with psycho-stimulants for Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and/or Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Parents frequently seek psychotherapy for their child up to one and a half years after medication has been tried due to a high degree of symptom recidivism. The parents should be engaged in the therapeutic work, if at all possible. An intricate web begins to unfold as the current parent-child relationship resonates with the parents' relationship with their own parents, siblings and childhood experiences. Working with the parents is essential if one is going to know anything about the cross-generational dynamics involved and if real and helpful change is going to occur. Conscious and unconscious parent—child dynamics of hyperactive behaviour in children are discussed. A clinical case illustration is described. Alternatives to medicating children are also described.