Not available / text

The purpose of this essay is to explore how I can meet children with different kinds of attention deficit disorders. What can I do when the child kicks me and makes me cry? How can I handle it right so that the child and I can feel good? In my text I am writing about how I can prioritize my way when I am angry. I wonder how to prioritize my feelings and feel safe with the other person. I am developing these questions in my text. My method is to reflect and question the knowledge I acquired during my work at the school. In the text I use literatures to the problem and have a short discussion with an old pedagogue. I am discussing myself when I meet the troublesome child and how I can deal with my own emotions. In the hard situation I have to look at the problem. I can’t see the bigger picture in this situation. For a good situation we need a solution and need to meet the child professionally with our own wise choices. I have not found a solution and I need to learn how I can handle my own emotions at work and what skills I need to learn when I get angry in a difficult situation.

This thesis tests the hypothesis proposed by Liemkuhler (1994) relating to the development of a cluster of personality styles among ADHD adolescents. Liemkuhler suggests that it is a neurobiological dysfunction, through its interaction with psychodynamic and cognitive processes that predisposes the ADHD adolescent to the development of certain personality styles. An absence of appropriate intervention and support increases the risk of these personality styles developing into clinical syndromes. To determine whether differences in personality styles do exist between ADHD adolescents and adolescents without ADHD, the NED Five Factor Inventory (NEDFFI) was group administered to a sample of 25 adolescents who were previously diagnosed as having ADHD (referred to as the ' research group') and 25 controls (referred to as the ' control group') who were matched for age and educational level. Five testable hypotheses were formulated for each of the five personality scales. A comparison of each of the five scales between the research group and the control group yielded no significant result to support Liemkuhler's hypothesis. However, a comparison of the five scales within each group (either the research group or the control group) produced several significant differences. Significant correlations were also found between scales for each group. On the basis of these results it is suggested that specific differences in the facets (traits) that are measured by each of the five personality scales may exist for each group, as opposed to overall group differences in personality styles. It is further proposed that the facets that are tapped may be explained on the basis of assumed differences in the neurobiological and cognitive functioning of both groups. It is tentatively concluded that the results may provide partial support for Liemkuhler's hypothesis. However, it is acknowledged that the complexity of Liemkulher's argument warrants further and more detailed research. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2003.

This thesis used the electroencephalogram (EEG) to measure the electrophysiological correlates of auditory distraction. Chapter One determined that relative to broad-band noise, the presence of a continuous speech signal impaired task performance, attenuated the N1 peak and reduced theta/alpha band inter-trial phase coherence around the latency of the N1. Chapter Two found that reductions of inter-trial phase coherence during distraction were related to both disruptions of gain and the temporal fidelity of evoked responses. Chapter Three found that postsecondary adults with ADHD are not characterized by greater levels of distraction and that this population may be responding to sensory events with abnormally high phase locking. Chapter Three also found that Un-medicated ADHD adults had significantly more N1 latency, theta/alpha band evoked power than Medicated ADHD or Control groups. These results extend the literature on distraction by using time-frequency measures to assess how distraction modulates early sensory processing of stimulus events. / xxii, 171 p. : col. ill. ; 29 cm

Children with alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder differ on neuropsychological tasks and measures of eye movement control. M.Sc. Thesis, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, January 2010. Background: Alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND) accounts for the majority of diagnoses associated with prenatal alcohol exposure. Unfortunately, ARND frequently poses a significant clinical challenge as these patients lack the visible physical characteristics associated with alcohol teratogenicity. Moreover, the cognitive and behavioural disabilities are complex and overlap with those of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Furthermore, co-morbid ADHD is prevalent in children with prenatal alcohol exposure. While early and accurate diagnosis provides the best prognosis for those affected, there is a lack of tools for differential diagnosis between these two disorders. The goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that children with ARND exhibit different performance from children with ADHD on computer-based neuropsychological tests and eye movement tasks. Methods: Our study group was composed of 42 children with ARND and 31 children with ADHD aged 8-15 years, male and female. Children completed four tasks selected from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB®) that provided measures of attention, planning, strategy and spatial working memory. Subjects also performed pro- and anti-saccade tasks, and eye movements were recorded using a mobile eye-tracking system. Results: Children with ARND demonstrated elevated decision times on a visual matching test of attention and longer response times on a task of spatial working memory, although the two groups had similar errors scores. Also, compared to children with ADHD, children with ARND had greater anticipatory errors in both the pro- and anti-saccade tasks. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that there are measurable differences in executive function and eye movement control between children with ARND or ADHD. Greater deficits in visuospatial processing in ARND may underlie these differences. These findings demonstrate that the neurobehavioural phenotypes of children with ARND or ADHD have distinct features, which may be accounted for by differences in the patterns of brain injury underlying these two disorders. / Thesis (Master, Neuroscience Studies) -- Queen's University, 2010-01-15 15:15:47.738

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the associations between sleep problems, sleep hygiene and ADHD symptoms in young adults. The first chapter of this dissertation provides an overview of ADHD in adulthood, and a review of the literature that has associated ADHD and sleep problems. This chapter also highlights the need to develop a valid and reliable instrument to assess sleep hygiene. The second chapter presents a manuscript which outlines the development of a new self-report measure of sleep hygiene in young adults. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to develop two sleep hygiene scales (substance abuse and poor sleep scheduling) and overall results indicated that the new instrument has sound psychometric properties, as well as good construct and convergent validity. The third chapter presents a manuscript which outlines two empirical studies that examined the associations between sleep problems, sleep hygiene and ADHD symptoms in young adults. Results indicated that young adults with elevated ADHD symptoms reported more sleep problems (specifically insomnia and sleepiness) and poorer sleep hygiene (specifically substance abuse and poor sleep scheduling) than young adults without elevated ADHD symptoms. Young adults with ADHD also reported more sleep problems even after accounting for substance abuse and poor sleep scheduling, suggesting that poor sleep hygiene is not responsible for the sleep problems of young adults with ADHD. The fourth chapter presents a summary of the research findings, as well as a discussion of the methodological limitations and directions for future research. / Thesis (Ph.D, Psychology) -- Queen's University, 2010-01-20 15:27:40.187

ADHD is a persistent psychological disorder with far-reaching effects on many facets of an individual’s development. Despite this, there are a number of developmental outcomes that have not been extensively researched. Among these topics; is whether there is a risk of harm that may be inherent in life-course persistent ADHD symptomatology. Based on an integrated theory of ADHD phenotypology; this thesis contains a study comprising of four phases that explore the relationship between ADHD and four risk-laden outcomes. The sample for this study consisted of 67 adults from Christchurch, New Zealand (average age 33) of whom a sample of 35 adults met criteria for ADHD, which persisted into adulthood. The group of adults with ADHD were matched across demographic factors with a control group of adults with whom they were compared across a raft of psychosocial variables. The first phase illustrates the relationship between ADHD and self-destructive behaviours including self-harm and suicidal ideation and attempts, which were found to be significantly mediated by coping behaviour and psychological comorbidity. The second phase reports on the relationship between ADHD and a range of risk-taking behaviours including: violence risk, nicotine use and sexual risk-taking, and the mediating role of motivational variances, including reward sensitivity and temporal discounting. The third phase illustrates the moderating effect of childhood abuse victimisation on ADHD in increasing the vulnerability of the development of mood disorders in adulthood. A fourth phase explores a range of physical health outcomes including diet, exercise, chronic illness and disability which were not found to be significantly associated with ADHD in adulthood. Based on the literature previewed below, it is theorised in this thesis that ADHD symptomatology may act as a diathesis that, coupled with comorbid psychosocial stressors, may contribute to an individual’s level of risk to themselves and others. Overall, this research suggests that ADHD symptomatology that persists into adulthood may pose a significant risk to some individuals, in the form of deliberate and non-deliberate forms of harm. These findings may challenge previously held beliefs regarding the innocuousness of ADHD as a psychological disorder and highlight the need to consider risk and safety issues in the assessment and treatment of adult ADHD.

The purpose of the study was to examine the use of the Bender Gestalt Test Second Edition (BGT-II) with children diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Previous research has examined the relationship of ADHD and visual-motor functioning based on overall developmental scores or specific "emotional indicators." Although several of these studies have examined the relationship of the previous edition of the BGT and ADHD symptoms, methodological problems, a lack of a clear theoretical rationale, and psychometric problems associated with the original edition, limit the validity and generalizability of these results.This study sought to examine the utility of the revised edition of the BGT, the BGT-II, in the assessment of behaviors associated with ADHD. Based upon a broad theory of ADHD (Barkley, 1997b), several hypotheses were made regarding how areas of deficit (e.g., self-regulation, planning, working memory, motor control) were expected to he manifested in BGT-I1 performance. An ADHD group (N = 67) was compared to a control group of normal subjects (N = 100) and a group of subjects diagnosed with mental retardation (N = 59). Additionally, the performances of children diagnosed with subtypes of ADHD were compared in an attempt to clarify the nature of the disorder.The results of the study do not support the use of the BGT-11 in the assessment of ADHD. Although those with ADHD tended to perform more poorly than controls on the BGT-II, these differences disappeared when intellectual level was controlled. Traditional emotional indicators purporting to reflect impulsivity and attention problems also failed to demonstrate their efficacy. With the exception of the indicator Confused Order, they were no more indicative of individuals diagnosed with ADHD than those with no knowndisabilities. The proposed ADHD-related indicators also failed to demonstrate the ability to differentiate between the ADHD group and controls. / Department of Educational Psychology

Ward's method of cluster analysis was utilized to partition the clinical profiles of 74 students completed at a midwestern university's school psychology training clinic. The Conners' Continuous Performance Test and the Parent Rating Scale of the Behavioral Assessment System for Children provided the clustering variables. The neuropsychological literature predicted three groups; ADHD - Primarily Inattentive Type, ADHD - Primarily Hyperactive-Impulsive Type, and ADHD - Mixed Type based on errors of omission and commission on measures of vigilance, along with parental rankings on internalized and externalized behavior.Cluster Analysis 1 (N = 74) identified three clusters but failed to support the initial hypothesis. Clusters differentiated between clinical, at risk, and average range behavioral rankings, especially on those behaviors that are immediately noticeable and conflict with structured situations.Cluster Analysis 2 (n = 26) was limited to those with initial referral questions of an attentional disorder. All procedures of analysis 1 were repeated with this subset. Three clusters supported the inattentive and hyperactive profiles predicted. / Department of Educational Psychology

The purpose of this investigation was two-fold. First, to examine the level of diagnostic accuracy of psychologists when their decisions were subjected to statistical procedures that analyzed group differences and group membership predictions. Second, to examine the sensitivity of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST; Heaton, Chelune, Talley, Kay, & Curtiss, 1993) in differentially identifying children who experience ADHD and RD-LD symptoms. The diagnostic battery used to identify ADHD, RD-LD, and Normal subjects included intellectual, academic achievement, attention, and hyperactivity measures recognized as sensitive to these disorders. Performance on the WCST was then examined to determine its usefulness in discriminating between the aforementioned groups.Scores for the diagnostic variables for 115 subjects (mean age = 9.8 years; males = 80; females = 35) were analyzed using oneway ANOVAs to determine differences between groups. A subsequent cluster analysis was conducted using Ward's method to determine group membership of the subjects and resulted in a sample of 87. This cluster analysis resulted in a four cluster solution with the groups being identified as ADHD, RD-LD, Normal, and "Close Calls."Two linear discriminant analyses were performed with the first using the diagnostic groups diagnosed by the previous psychologists as groups and diagnostic variables as predictors. The second used the diagnostic groups diagnosed by evaluating psychologists and the WCST variables used as predictors to examine their ability to discriminate between groups and predict membership.The first linear discriminant analysis yielded two significant functions of three indicating confidence in the diagnoses provided by the evaluating psychologists. The second linear discriminant analysis yielded no significant findings when using the WCST variables as predictors. As a result, it appears the WCST provides little useful information in the differentiation between ADHD, RD-LD, and normals. / Department of Educational Psychology