Title: Motor performance of pupils with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Objectives: The aim of the work was to determine the level of fine and gross motor skills of upper extremities of the pupils with diagnosis ADHD at schools specialized on these pupils and compare it with the fine and gross motor skills of upper extremities of children without this diagnosis at common elementary school. Further work objective was to determine the level of gross motor skills of lower limbs and laterality of paired organs (hand - foot) within above mentioned groups of pupils. Methods: To determine the level of fine and gross motor skills of upper extremities, gross motor skills of lower limbs, laterality of the upper and lower extremities of the pupils with and without ADHD aged 9-11 years we used these types of tests: "Spiral", "Dotting test", "Beads" (the level of fine motor skills of the upper extremities); "Pack", "Small plate tapping", "Big plate tapping" (the level of gross motor skills of upper extremities); "Tapping the leg" (the level of gross motor skills of the lower limbs); "Typing out the Rhythm" (the laterality of the lower limbs); "Bell" and "Matches" (the laterality of the upper extremities). Results: The fine motor level of dominant hand was in the case of ADHD diagnosed pupils...

M.A. (Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Children with Disruptive Behavior Disorders (DBD), including Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) have poorer language skills compared to typically developing children; however, language as a potential risk factor for DBD has received little empirical attention or evaluation. Receptive, expressive, and pragmatic language skills in preschoolers with DBD were examined. Participants were 82 preschool-age children and their primary caregivers. Primary caregivers completed a semi-structured interview and symptom and language questionnaires. Preschoolers completed measures of receptive and expressive language. Results indicated that preschoolers with DBD were more impaired on receptive, expressive, and pragmatic language compared to non-DBD children. Pragmatic language appears particularly impaired in children with DBD, and language problems appear most linked with increased hyperactivity-impulsivity (vs. inattention or oppositional-defiance). This work suggests the need for early assessment of language in preschoolers with DBD, as well as the possibly utility of tailored interventions focusing on improving pragmatic language.

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a childhood disorder that often persists into adulthood. Among adults, ADHD is highly comorbid with addictive behaviors (e.g., substance abuse and dependence), and depressive disorders. Recently, an association between ADHD and obesity has been reported in the literature; emotional and binge eating may be “addictive behaviors” that contribute to weight gain in this population. The purpose of this study was to test competing models of the hypothesized link between ADHD symptomology and overweight. Specifically, in Model 1, symptoms of depression are expected to mediate the relationship between symptoms of impulsivity and inattention and emotional and binge eating which, in turn, leads to weight gain (i.e., increased BMI). In Model 2, however, the impulsive symptoms have direct relationships with emotional and binge eating in addition to being mediated by depressive symptoms. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to test how the models fit the data of 790 college men. Both models fit the data well, with Model 2 being preferred because of its greater connection to theory. All paths were significant indicating that increased impulsive and inattentive symptoms predicted increased symptoms of depression that, in turn, predicted increased emotional/binge eating, which has a direct and positive relationship with increased BMI. Moreover, impulsive symptoms were also directly related to emotional/binge eating, suggesting different paths to overweight across ADHD subtypes. The findings of the current study elucidate the links between ADHD symptoms and overweight (i.e., increased BMI).

Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur forskning från olika vetenskapliga fält och länder resonerar kring diagnostiseringen av ADHD hos förskolebarn. Som metod har en systematisk litteraturstudie använts, där de 22 vetenskapliga artiklar som framkommit vid den noggranna systematiska sökningen har granskats och analyserats genom en innehållsanalys. Vidare har the Relational Developmental System theory (RDS) använts som det teoretiska perspektivet för att analysera resultatet ytterligare. Resultatet från studierna visar på att en tidig diagnos med tillhörande behandling kan vara värdefullt för utvecklingen av barnets sociala förmågor och senare akademiska framgångar. Däremot finns det risk för feldiagnostisering och onödig behandling om diagnos ställs i tidig förskoleålder, därför bör noggrann utredning göras och en provisorisk diagnos kan vara att föredra om misstanke finns att symtomen skulle kunna vara åldersrelaterade. Forskningen har även visat att förskollärarnas kunskap om ADHD-relaterad problematik är betydelsefull för bedömningen vid utredning inför diagnostisering, men även att förskollärarnas inställning och utbildning påverkar arbetet med barn som uppvisar ADHD-symtom eller som har diagnosen. Enbart forskning från det senaste decenniet är med i denna studie, detta för ADHD-diagnostisering har ökat kraftigt och forskningen gått snabbt framåt.

O Transtorno de Déficit de Atenção e Hiperatividade (TDAH) é um distúrbio bastante referido tanto na área da saúde quanto na área da educação, podendo resultar em inúmeros problemas presentes e futuros para seus portadores. A literatura apresenta variados fatores etiológicos para o desenvolvimento do transtorno, havendo certo consenso de que o problema se deve a uma predisposição genéticaque pode seatualizar em função de estímulos docontexto ambiental. O TDAH inclui sintomas de desatenção, agitação e impulsividade que ocorrem em frequência e intensidade inadequadas à faixa etária dos sujeitos, sendo diagnosticado, geralmente,por meio de escalas comportamentais a serem respondidas por familiares e/ou professores, as quais podem ou não ser acompanhadas de testes (neuro)psicológicos, além de observação do comportamento da criança. O teste do Desenho da Figura Humana(DFH)tem sido um dos instrumentos mais utilizados por psicólogos, tanto para analisar aspectos cognitivosquanto elementos da personalidadedo executor do desenho. Dessa forma, por meio de uma comparação do desempenho no referido teste entre crianças diagnosticadas e não diagnosticadas com o transtorno, este trabalho tevecomo objetivo identificar possíveis traços indicadores da presença do TDAH nos desenhos das crianças portadoras do transtorno, visando àobtenção de mais um recurso que possa auxiliar psicólogos na execução de um diagnóstico mais confiável para o TDAH. Participaram do estudo 20crianças, alunas do1º. Ciclo do Ensino Fundamental, divididas em Grupo Clínico, composto por 10crianças diagnosticadas como sendo portadoras de TDAH, e Grupo Controle, composto por 10crianças com idade, sexo, escolaridade e nível socioeconômicoequivalentes, porém que nãoapresentavam o problema. Após ambos os grupos serem submetidos ao DFH, análises comparativas do nível de maturidade cognitiva e dos indicadores emocionais,bem como de aspectos gerais dos desenhos dos participantes (tamanho, traçado), foramefetuadas, de modo a verificar a existência ou não de diferenças significativas entre os grupos.Os resultados obtidos sugerem um desempenho mais baixo dos portadores de TDAHem termos de maturidade cognitiva, bem como maior presença de indicadores emocionaise de problemas de coordenação motora no grupo clínico, embora sem atingir significância estatística. Sugere-se a necessidade de ampliação da amostra a fim de que se possa obter resultados mais conclusivos a respeito da possibilidade de uso do DFH como instrumento auxiliar no diagnóstico do TDAH / Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a disorder that is very much referred to in the health area as well as in the area of education, which can result in numerous present and future problems for the subjects. The literature presents a variety of etiological factors for the development of the disorder, with some consensus that the problem is due to a genetic predisposition that can be updated in function of stimuli of the environmental context. ADHD includes symptoms of inattention, agitationand impulsivity that occur in frequency and intensity that are inappropriate for the subject\'s age group and are usually diagnosed through behavioral scales to be answered by family members and / or teachers, which may or may not be followed by(neuro) psychological tests, as well as observation of the child\'s behavior. The Human Figure Drawing test (HFD) has been one of the instruments most used by psychologists, both to analyze cognitive aspects and personality elements of the executor of the drawing. Thus, through a comparison of performance in HFDtest between children diagnosed and undiagnosed with the disorder, this study aimed to identify possible indicative traits of the presence of ADHD in the drawings of children with the disorder, aiming to obtain an additional resource that can help psychologists to execute a more reliable diagnosis for ADHD. The participants of the research were20 children, students from the 1st. Elementary School Cycle, divided into a Clinical Group, composed of 10 children diagnosed as having ADHD, and Control Group, composed of 10 children with age, sex, education and socioeconomic level, but who did not present the problem. After both groups were submitted to HFD, comparative analyzes of the level of cognitive maturity and emotional indicators, as well as general aspects of the participants\' drawings (size, tracing), were performed, in order to verify the existence or not of significant differences between groups. The results suggest a lower performance of the ADHD patients in terms of cognitive maturity, as well as greater presence of emotional indicators and poor manual coordination in the clinical group, although not reaching statistical significance. We suggest the need to expand the sample in order to obtain more conclusive results regarding the possibility of using HFD as an auxiliary tool in the diagnosis of ADHD

The aim of this research was to determine the perceptions of parents and learners are surrounding academic achievement and the factors which contribute to it, taking into consideration barriers to learning. The research also aimed to investigate what their perceptions are on the factors which contribute to academic achievement. There were a total of six dyads, six adolescents (middle to late adolescence) and eight parents. All of the adolescents had been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Each of the adolescents took part in an interview and the parents took part in a separate interview. The interviews were semi-structured in nature. The findings of the study indicated that academic achievement was defined as being based on marks or on the ability of the learners to achieve their potential. The factors perceived to influence academic achievement such as peers, educators, school environment and the role of parents were found to be similar between parents and adolescents. The barrier to learning (ADHD) was not perceived as having a greater influence on academic achievement than any other factor.

This study investigated foundation phase educators’ perceptions of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The educators’ views on the causes, appropriate interventions and incidence rates of ADHD were examined. A sample of 140 foundation phase educators from mainstream private and public schools participated in the study. The educators completed a self-developed questionnaire that had been piloted by the researcher. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the quantitative data, in conjunction with t-tests to ascertain the differences in responses between public and private school educators. Thematic content analysis was used to identify the main categories and themes that emerged form the open-ended questions. The results revealed that the educators had a limited understanding of ADHD, in terms of what it is as well as its causes. In addition, it emerged that the educators preferred medication as the intervention method despite being aware of additional intervention methods. A comparison of the private and public school educators’ results indicated no significant difference in the educators’ perceptions regarding the cause, interventions or incidence rate of ADHD. These findings are discussed in relation to empirical studies and suggestions for future research are presented.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Research Psychology), 2017 / ADHD is one of the most prevalent disorders in child psychiatry today. Whilst the phenomenon of ADHD is well researched in Europe and North America, there are limited studies available in South Africa that explore the link between ADHD and different forms of schooling. Furthermore, few studies focus on the children who have been socially positioned in this way. This study focused on the prevalence of ADHD with a particular aim to explore how gender, race and class play out in an unequal schooling system. The secondary aim was to contribute to the knowledge about adolescents’ own understandings and experiences of ADHD. The research was conducted in two distinct phases, Phase 1 included the administration of a demographic questionnaire to determine the prevalence of the disorder within four different Gauteng schools. Phase 2 of the project included semi-structured interviews to explore the understandings, perceptions and experiences of children living with this diagnosis. This study explored the prevalence of ADHD across four different schools in Gauteng. Results of the study propose that the diagnosis and prevalence of this phenomena is strongly influenced by gender, race and class, as the majority of children diagnosed are boys (65%), more than half are from upper class families (61%) and most of the children are white (71%). The adolescents who were interviewed indicated that teachers were mostly the initiators of their diagnosis due to deviations from classroom behaviour and academic performance. While the children claimed that the diagnosis and the medication had certain benefits, they also identified distinct disadvantages with the most notable adverse effects on mood and interactions with their peers. The predominant biomedical view of the disorder seemed to be internalised by the children which positioned them in a subordinate relationship with health care professionals. A strong theme of disempowerment emerged, with medical experts and mothers, identified as gatekeepers to their sense of agency. / XL2018

Orsaken bakom ADHD är okänd. Forskning indikerar på att det är en obalans i det dopaminerga systemet i hjärnan som leder till ouppmärksamhet, hyperaktivitet och impulsivitet. Idag är behandlingsmetoderna för vuxna outvecklade. Studier på barn med ADHD tyder på att fysisk aktivitet kan förbättra ADHD symtom. Syftet med studien var att undersöka associationen mellan nivån av fysisk aktivitet och graden av ouppmärksamhet och hyperaktivitet hos vuxna individer med ADHD. En kvantitativ tvärsnittsstudie med enkäter genomfördes på en allmänpsykiatrisk mottagning i Malmö. Ett bekvämlighetsurval valdes, sammanlagt deltog 37 stycken individer. Analys skedde i SPSS statistics 24 med Spearmans rangkorrelation och för statistisk signifikans valdes konfidensintervall 95 % och p-värde 0.05. Resultatet indikerar på att det fanns en association mellan nivå av måttlig fysisk aktivitet och lägre grad av ouppmärksamhet hos det totala urvalet, detta var inte signifikant för kvinnor och män. Vidare fanns det en association mellan nivå av låg fysisk aktivitet och högre grad av ouppmärksamhet hos kvinnor, detta var inte signifikant för män och totala urvalet. Det fanns inte någon association mellan fysisk aktivitet och hyperaktivitet. Det är av betydelse att forskning med andra studiedesigner studerar hypotesen vidare för att resultatet eventuellt skall kunna implementeras som en potentiell behandling / The cause of ADHD is unknown. Research indicates that there is an imbalance in the dopaminergic system in the brain that leads to inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. Today, the treatment methods for adults are undeveloped. Studies in children with ADHD indicate that physical activity may improve ADHD symptoms. The purpose of the study was to investigate the association between the level of physical activity and the degree of inattention and hyperactivity in adult individuals with ADHD. A quantitative cross-sectional study with questionnaires was conducted at a general psychiatric reception in Malmö. A comfort selection was chosen, a total of 37 individuals participated. Analysis took place in SPSS statistics 24 with Spearman's rank correlation and for statistical significance the confidence interval was chosen 95% and p-value 0.05. The result indicates that there was an association between the level of moderate physical activity and lower degree of inattention in the overall sample, this was not significant for women and men. Furthermore, there was an association between the level of low physical activity and higher degree of inattention in women, this was not significant for men and overall selection. There was no association between physical activity and hyperactivity. It is important that research with other study designs further studies the hypothesis in order that the result may be implemented as a potential treatment.