Ces dernières années, la santé des jeunes générations est devenue une priorité et il est important de pouvoir mieux identifier les signes de mal-être et/ou de souffrance des jeunes. L’étude de ces problématiques de souffrance est d’autant plus importante que la réussite des jeunes passe par le fait d’être en bonne santé. Nous avons choisi de nous centrer sur deux dimensions de ces problématiques qui impactent la scolarité et l’efficacité des jeunes de la maternelle à l’université : le stress et les difficultés d’attention. Bien que la littérature aborde majoritairement la problématique des difficultés d’attention sous l’angle du Trouble de l’Attention avec ou sans Hyperactivité (TDAH), elles regroupent également les difficultés pouvant être présentes dans l’ensemble des dimensions cognitives propre à l’attention, et, peuvent être inhérentes à d’autres souffrances psychiques comme la dépression, l’anxiété, les troubles psychotiques. En considération avec la littérature récente, pour nous, les difficultés d’attention correspondent à un continuum dont une extrémité serait le TDAH, pouvant ainsi être défini selon le niveau de symptomatologie du TDAH. Le stress est défini et évalué de manière multiple, selon des marqueurs physiologiques, ou encore par des inventaires d’événement de vie. Pour des raisons théoriques, nous le définissons par le concept de stress perçu et ressenti. Il ressort que les liens entre le stress et les difficultés d’attention ne sont pas clairs. Certaines études mettent en avant un impact du stress sur les difficultés d’attention, d’autres des difficultés d’attention sur le stress. Afin d’approfondir ces liens, nous avons isolé deux prédicteurs de la symptomatologie du TDAH en lien avec le stress : les comportements parentaux et les problèmes de sommeil. Toutefois, il n’existe à notre connaissance aucune étude ayant travaillé les liens entre le stress, la symptomatologie du TDAH et les problèmes de sommeil, et, entre le stress, la symptomatologie du TDAH et les comportements parentaux. Afin d’étudier ces liens et comprendre l’articulation du stress et de la symptomatologie du TDAH (difficultés d’attention et comportements d’hyperactivité), nous avons réalisé trois études: deux en population générale, auprès d’enfants en maternelle (3-6 ans) et auprès d’étudiants à l’université, et, une auprès d’enfant et d’adolescents (6-16 ans) présentant des difficultés scolaires. Nos études montrent que le stress est fortement associé aux difficultés d’attention et moins aux comportements d’hyperactivité chez les 3-6 ans et chez les étudiants. Chez les 6-16 ans, le stress perçu n’est pas associé à la symptomatologie du TDAH au contraire des difficultés émotionnelles mesurées par les parents qui sont associées aux difficultés d’attention et aux comportements d’hyperactivité. Les problèmes de sommeil sont associés aux difficultés d’attention et aux comportements d’hyperactivité chez les étudiants, ils ne sont associés qu’aux comportements d’hyperactivité chez les 3-6 ans et qu’aux difficultés d’attention chez les 6-16 ans. Nos résultats montrent la présence d’une médiation partielle chez les étudiants que nous ne retrouvons pas chez les enfants et adolescents. Les comportements parentaux, principalement coercitifs, sont associés avec les comportements d’hyperactivité et d’inattention. Et il semble que le stress soit un médiateur partiel entre les comportements parentaux et la symptomatologie du TDAH. Ainsi l’ensemble de nos études montrent l’importance de considérer les difficultés d’attention selon un continuum et de tenir compte du stress et des difficultés de sommeil lorsque nous évaluons la présence de difficultés d’attention. Ces deux variables peuvent augmenter la sévérité des difficultés d’attention, pouvant peut-être provoquer un TDAH-like. Ce travail de thèse fait également ressortir un champ d’intervention possible par la prise en compte simultanée des difficultés d’attention, du stress et des problèmes de sommeil. / In recent years, the health of younger generations has become a priority and it seems more important to identify the signs of malaise and / or suffering of young people. The study of these problems of suffering is all the more important that the success of young people is through being healthy. We chose to focus our work on two dimensions that impact the education and effectiveness of young people from kindergarten to university: stress and attention difficulties.Although the literature mainly addresses the problem of attention difficulties from the angle of Attention Disorder with or without Hyperactivity (ADHD), attention difficulties also group the difficulties that can be present in all the cognitive dimensions specific to attention, and, may be inherent to other psychological pains such as depression, anxiety, psychotic disorders. In consideration with recent literature, for us attention difficulties correspond to a continuum of which one pole is ADHD, thus being able to be defined according to the level of symptomatology of ADHD.Stress is defined and evaluated in multiple ways, according to physiological markers, or by life event inventories. For theoretical reasons, we define it by the concept of perceived and felt stress.It appears that the links between stress and attention difficulties are unclear. Some studies highlight an impact of stress on attention difficulties and others attention difficulties on stress.In order to understand these links, we isolated two predictors of ADHD symptomatology related to stress: parental behaviors and sleep problems. However, to our knowledge, there are no studies that have worked on the links between stress, symptomology of ADHD and sleep problems, and, between stress, ADHD symptomatology and parental behavior.In order to study these links and to understand the articulation of stress and ADHD symptomatology (attention difficulties and hyperactivity behaviors), we conducted three studies: two in the general population, with children in kindergarten (2 at age 6) and with university students, and one with children and adolescents between the ages of 6 and 16 with learning difficulties.Our studies show that stress is strongly associated with attention difficulties and less with hyperactivity in 2 to 6-year old and students. In the age group 6 to 16, perceived stress is not associated with ADHD symptomatology, unlike emotional difficulties measured by parents that are associated with attention difficulties and hyperactivity behaviors. Sleep problems are associated with attention difficulties and hyperactivity behaviors in students, they are associated with hyperactivity behaviors in 2-6 years of age and attention difficulties in 6- 16 years old. Our results show the presence of partial mediation among students that we do not find in children and adolescents. Parenting behaviors, mainly coercive, are associated with hyperactivity and inattention behaviors. And it seems that stress mediate partially the relationship between parenting behaviors and the symptomatology of ADHD.Thus, all of our studies show the importance of considering attention difficulties along a continuum and considering stress and sleep difficulties when assessing the presence of attention difficulties. These two variables may increase the severity of attention difficulties, possibly leading to ADHD-like. This thesis work also highlights a possible field of intervention by simultaneously considering the difficulties of attention, stress and sleep problems.

Research on the Berard Auditory Integration Training method has shown improvement in the regulation of attention, activity and impulsivity of children whose auditory system have been re-trained. Anecdotal reports have found improvements in sleeping patterns, balance, allergies, eyesight, eating patterns, depression and other seemingly unrelated physiological states. During the Auditory Integration Training (AIT) procedure dynamic music, with a wide range of frequencies, is processed through a system of filters in the AIT device. The volume and tone of the music is constantly and randomly modulated. The researcher explored Berard AIT as a possible intervention for learners between the ages of six and twelve years, who experienced problems with sustained attention and who have difficulty in shifting their attention from task to task. The aim was to investigate if Berard AIT method would enable the learner to stay calm, relaxed yet alert, with focused attention and thus concentration with appropriate reflection before action. An experimental quantative study, with a pretest-posttest control group design, was conducted to investigate the effect that Berard Auditory Integration Training has on learners with attention problems. Checklists and different measurements were conducted before the training started and repeated three months after the training was completed, to monitor if any change in the way that the learners pay attention, occurred the case group of ten learners was compared with ten learners in a control group who did not initially receive the intervention. Although the results of the post-tests varied amongst the learners, most learners in the experimental group experienced a statistical significant increase in attention control and a reduction in behavioural problems by the third month following the listening sessions. / Thesis (M.Ed.), North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2010

Research on the Berard Auditory Integration Training method has shown improvement in the regulation of attention, activity and impulsivity of children whose auditory system have been re-trained. Anecdotal reports have found improvements in sleeping patterns, balance, allergies, eyesight, eating patterns, depression and other seemingly unrelated physiological states. During the Auditory Integration Training (AIT) procedure dynamic music, with a wide range of frequencies, is processed through a system of filters in the AIT device. The volume and tone of the music is constantly and randomly modulated. The researcher explored Berard AIT as a possible intervention for learners between the ages of six and twelve years, who experienced problems with sustained attention and who have difficulty in shifting their attention from task to task. The aim was to investigate if Berard AIT method would enable the learner to stay calm, relaxed yet alert, with focused attention and thus concentration with appropriate reflection before action. An experimental quantative study, with a pretest-posttest control group design, was conducted to investigate the effect that Berard Auditory Integration Training has on learners with attention problems. Checklists and different measurements were conducted before the training started and repeated three months after the training was completed, to monitor if any change in the way that the learners pay attention, occurred the case group of ten learners was compared with ten learners in a control group who did not initially receive the intervention. Although the results of the post-tests varied amongst the learners, most learners in the experimental group experienced a statistical significant increase in attention control and a reduction in behavioural problems by the third month following the listening sessions. / Thesis (M.Ed.), North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2010