The recognition of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) as a medical condition is a breakthrough for patients who have suffered years of self-blame for uncontrollable behavior. ADHD, most widely prevalent in children, often persists into adulthood. Athough stimulant drugs are the therapy of choice by most physicians, a comprehensive treatment-intervention program is preferable in treating the complex symptoms of this disorder.
ADHD is one of the most common childhood disorders in American children. It affects from three percent to five percent of school-age youngsters. Hinshaw (1994) cites evidence that up to seven percent of the child population may be categorized with ADHD, depending on the particular criteria used (p. 15). ADHD is three times more likely to be prevalent in boys than in girls (Schwiebert, Sealander, and Tollerud, 1995, p. 249). Among clinic-referred populations, the ratio runs as high as eight to 10 male clinic attendees to each female (Hinshaw, 1994, p. 79). About half of all children with ADHD exhibit the first signs of the disorder before 4, although the symptoms are most often diagnosed when the child reaches elementary school (Schwiebert, Sealander, and Tollerud, 1995, p. 249).
ADHD is characterized by inattention, impulsivity, and overactivity. (A subtype of ADHD is Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), in which inattention is not accompanied by hyperactivity.) Children with ADHD have a hard time concentrating and maintaining normal levels of activity. According to the American Psychiatric Association's DSM-IV Criteria for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, the diagnosis of ADHD must involve symptoms that persist for at least six months, begin before the age of 7, impair the child's activity in key domains (e.g., academic, social, and domestic), and appear pervasively (Hinshaw, 1994, p. 12). Features associated with this disorder are aggression and antisocial behavior, academic...