Bakgrunden: Skolan är en viktig del för eleverna i deras liv och det är viktigt att den möjliggör för eleven att kunna uppnå kraven som ställs på dem. I skolan har lärarna en viktig roll för elevernas lärande. Lärarna beskrivs däremot ha utmaningar att hantera elever med ADHD på grund av bristande kunskap om diagnosen. Lärarna beskrivs även ha svårigheter i att finna strategier och anpassningar för att stödja eleverna att uppnå kraven. Arbetsterapeuter beskrivs enligt tidigare forskning ha kunskap i anpassningar för att möjliggöra för eleverna att kunna utföra aktiviteter i skolan. Genom ett samarbete mellan professionerna kan lärarna få stöd i sina utmaningar att hantera eleverna i skolan. Syftet: Syftet med studien var att beskriva lärares erfarenheter av utmaningar i arbetet med elever med diagnosen ADHD. Metoden: Studien antog en kvalitativ ansats där datainsamlingsmetoden skedde genom intervjuer där det arbetsterapeutiska bedömningsinstrumentet BAS användes som grund till frågeguiden. Datamaterialet analyserades genom en kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultatet: Analysen av data resulterade i fyra kategorier: Fysisk miljö; Anpassningar i skolmiljön; Social miljö; Lärares kunskap och behov av samarbete. Intervjuerna visade att det finns olika varianter av utmaningar inom den fysiska och sociala miljön, där lärarna gör olika anpassningar och tillämpar olika strategier för att möta utmaningarna. Lärarnas erfarenheter visade även att det finns utmaningar kring att hantera eleven och dess svårigheter, vilket påverkar undervisningen negativt. Slutsats: Slutsatsen av studien visar att lärarna upplever utmaningar i sitt arbete med elever med ADHD där de uttrycker ett behov av mer stöd och kunskap för att kunna hantera eleverna. De områden som lärarna främst upplever utmanande är anpassningar i skolmiljön och den fysiska miljön som finns inom arbetsterapeutens område. / Background: The school is an important part for the students in their lives and it is important that it enables the student to be able to achieve the demands placed on them. In school, teachers have an important role in students' learning. The teachers however, are described as having challenges dealing with students with ADHD due to a lack of knowledge about the diagnosis. The teachers are also described as having difficulties in finding strategies and adaptations to support the students to achieve the requirements. Occupational therapists are described, according to previous research, as having knowledge of adaptations to enable students to be able to perform activities at school. Through a collaboration between the professions, the teachers can receive support in their challenges of managing the students at school. Aim: The aim of the study was to describe teachers ́ experiences of challenges in working with students diagnosed with ADHD. Method: The study assumed a qualitative approach where the data collection method occurs through interviews, where the occupational therapy assessment tool BAS is used as the basis for the question guide. The data material was analyzed by qualitative content analysis. Results: The analysis of the data resulted in four categories: Physical environment; Adaptations in school environment; Social environment; Teachers knowledge and need for collaboration. The result showed that there are different variants of challenges within the physical and social environment, where the teachers make different adaptations and apply different strategies to meet the challenges. The teachers' experiences also showed that there are challenges in dealing with the student and their difficulties, which affects the teaching negatively. Conclusion: The conclusion of the study shows that the teachers experience challenges in their work with students with ADHD where they express a need for more support and knowledge to be able to manage the students. The areas that the teachers mainly find challenging are adaptations in the school environment and the physical environment that is within the occupational therapist's field.

The purpose of the present study was to examine whether differences exist between reports of parental stress in Mexican American and Caucasian mothers of children with ADHD. A second purpose was to examine whether there were child and family characteristics that made unique contributions to levels of parenting stress in Mexican American parents of children with ADHD. A third purpose was to examine the role that level of acculturation plays in the Mexican American mothers' reports of stress. Dependent measures used in this study include the Parenting Stress Index (PSI) and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL).

Text in Afrikaans / In this study quantitative research is employed to determine if cognitive control therapy can successfully be utilized in a group situation to alleviate cognitive deficiency in learners with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Learners with ADHD often do not gain from traditional play- and psychotherapy due to the fact that they do not possess the required cognitive structure necessary to support successful learning. Many of these learners do not receive sufficient assistance and support due to a shortage of government supported educational psychological aid. An empirical investigation of limited scope was performed to establish whether cognitive deficiencies can be alleviated by means of applying cognitive control therapy in a group situation. A one-group pretest-posttest design was utilized where the same group of subjects was studies before and after the experimental treatment. The results indicate that the cognitive control therapy program resulted in a considerable change. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Voorligting)

In this qualitative research study the focus is on the use of sensory integration strategies with children who have Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Three respondents specialising in sensory integration in the Durbanville area were involved. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with each of the respondents in order to gain knowledge on the use of sensory integration strategies with children who have Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder by a professional other than an occupational therapist. After permission had been obtained, the interviews were captured on video tape and transcribed for use in the empirical study. Seven themes were identified from the interviews and a literature control was done with each of the themes. The researcher did not attempt to generalise the results of the research, but tried to reflect on the information that the respondents provided. The researcher summarised the findings of the empirical study and made recommendations. / Social Work / M. Diac (Play Therapy)

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for a Masters Degree in Technology: Homoeopathy, Durban University of Technology, 2009. / INTRODUCTION The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of homoeopathic simillimum in the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) in schoolgoing children aged 6-11 years. AD/HD affects approximately 3-5% of children worldwide. It is thus a highly prevalent childhood disorder characterised by hyperactivity, impulsivity and restlessness. There are 3 subtypes of the condition, namely combined type, predominantly inattentive type and predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type (DSM-IV-TR, 2000 pg 90). OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to determine the efficacy of homoeopathic simillimum in the treatment of this disorder, and thus promote homoeopathy as a safe alternative to conventional AD/HD treatments. METHODOLOGY The study was conducted as a double-blind placebo-controlled study. The sample group consisted of 30 participants. There was an experimental group of 16, which was compared to a placebo control group of 14. Participants were recruited from the greater Durban area. They had to satisfy clear inclusion and exclusion criteria. Participants and parents/guardians were required to attend 3 consultations with the researcher at The Homoeopathic Day Clinic over a 2-month period. The ADHD Rating Scale-IV Home and School Versions (Appendices B and C) had to be completed by the participant’s parent/guardian and teacher respectively. One was filled in at the initial consultation to serve as a baseline reading, and thereafter, every month. Remedies were dispensed at the first 2 consultations and these remedies were decided upon after thorough case-taking, use of Radar 9.0 Homoeopathic Software and discussion with 1 of 2 selected clinicians. Those on placebo were given free treatment at the end of the study. RESULTS Statistical analysis was conducted on the ADHD Rating Scales-IV Home and School Versions (Appendices B and C), completed by the parent/guardian and teacher respectively. Improvement was based on a decrease in the rating scale score. On analysis, the results (Table 4.8, 4.9 and 4.10) showed no statistically significant effect of treatment (i.e. no difference between treatment and placebo group), but across the whole trial and within each group (particularly the treatment group) subjects had significant reductions in symptoms (i.e. the reductions in symptoms were large enough that there was less than 5% chance that they were random fluctuations/effects). This was seen in both the treatment and placebo groups, as indicated by Table 4.11, 4.12 and 4.13, but more significant reductions were seen in the treatment group, indicated by Table 4.14. As discussed in Chapter 5, this by no means rules out the efficacy of homoeopathic simillimum for the treatment of AD/HD. CONCLUSIONS A large number of parents, teachers and doctors are seeking a safe, effective way to treat this highly prevalent disorder (Soreff & Chang, 2008) and, although the study did not satisfy the hypothesis that homoeopathic simillimum is an effective treatment for AD/HD in schoolgoing children, it did aid in creating awareness of the use of homoeopathy as a treatment option for this condition and highlighted the need for more extensive research to be undertaken for this treatment option. It is the researcher’s opinion that larger, longer duration studies, employing quantitative analysis, as well as qualitative analysis would yield more significant results.

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for a Masters Degree in Technology: Homoeopathy, Durban University of Technology, 2009. / INTRODUCTION The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of homoeopathic simillimum in the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) in schoolgoing children aged 6-11 years. AD/HD affects approximately 3-5% of children worldwide. It is thus a highly prevalent childhood disorder characterised by hyperactivity, impulsivity and restlessness. There are 3 subtypes of the condition, namely combined type, predominantly inattentive type and predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type (DSM-IV-TR, 2000 pg 90). OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to determine the efficacy of homoeopathic simillimum in the treatment of this disorder, and thus promote homoeopathy as a safe alternative to conventional AD/HD treatments. METHODOLOGY The study was conducted as a double-blind placebo-controlled study. The sample group consisted of 30 participants. There was an experimental group of 16, which was compared to a placebo control group of 14. Participants were recruited from the greater Durban area. They had to satisfy clear inclusion and exclusion criteria. Participants and parents/guardians were required to attend 3 consultations with the researcher at The Homoeopathic Day Clinic over a 2-month period. The ADHD Rating Scale-IV Home and School Versions (Appendices B and C) had to be completed by the participant’s parent/guardian and teacher respectively. One was filled in at the initial consultation to serve as a baseline reading, and thereafter, every month. Remedies were dispensed at the first 2 consultations and these remedies were decided upon after thorough case-taking, use of Radar 9.0 Homoeopathic Software and discussion with 1 of 2 selected clinicians. Those on placebo were given free treatment at the end of the study. RESULTS Statistical analysis was conducted on the ADHD Rating Scales-IV Home and School Versions (Appendices B and C), completed by the parent/guardian and teacher respectively. Improvement was based on a decrease in the rating scale score. On analysis, the results (Table 4.8, 4.9 and 4.10) showed no statistically significant effect of treatment (i.e. no difference between treatment and placebo group), but across the whole trial and within each group (particularly the treatment group) subjects had significant reductions in symptoms (i.e. the reductions in symptoms were large enough that there was less than 5% chance that they were random fluctuations/effects). This was seen in both the treatment and placebo groups, as indicated by Table 4.11, 4.12 and 4.13, but more significant reductions were seen in the treatment group, indicated by Table 4.14. As discussed in Chapter 5, this by no means rules out the efficacy of homoeopathic simillimum for the treatment of AD/HD. CONCLUSIONS A large number of parents, teachers and doctors are seeking a safe, effective way to treat this highly prevalent disorder (Soreff & Chang, 2008) and, although the study did not satisfy the hypothesis that homoeopathic simillimum is an effective treatment for AD/HD in schoolgoing children, it did aid in creating awareness of the use of homoeopathy as a treatment option for this condition and highlighted the need for more extensive research to be undertaken for this treatment option. It is the researcher’s opinion that larger, longer duration studies, employing quantitative analysis, as well as qualitative analysis would yield more significant results. / M

Basic criteria for determination of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) include hyperactivity, impulsivity, and distractibility. Four scales of the Personality Inventory for Children have been found to be useful in the diagnosis of ADHD. Impulsivity and distractibility can affect scores on the Hand Movements, Number Recall, Word Order, Spatial Memory, Arithmetic, Riddles, and Matrix Analogies subtests of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children. Subjects were 100 children, aged six through 13 who were referred for psychological assessment. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a correlation between scores on the four scales of the PIC and the designated subtest scores on the KABC. Four correlations were significant, but of low magnitude.

Studiens syfte har varit att undersöka upplevelsen och betydelsen av att få en ADHD-diagnos hos unga kvinnor. Studien har haft en kvalitativ ansats och består av intervjuer med tre kvinnor i åldrarna 24 till 30 år som alla har fått sin diagnos efter tjugo års ålder. Utskrifterna från dessa intervjuer har meningskoncentrerats och har analyserats utifrån känsla av sammanhang, diagnossociologiska tankeströmningar och medikaliseringsbegreppet. De två forskningsfrågor som studien har ämnat besvara har varit dels hur de intervjuade kvinnorna har upplevt att få en ADHD-diagnos och dels vilken betydelse ADHD-diagnosen har haft för de intervjuade kvinnorna. Resultatet visar att kvinnorna i studien upplevde det som mestadels positivt att få en ADHD-diagnos och att diagnosen har ökat deras känsla av sammanhang avseende framför allt begriplighet och hanterbarhet men även avseende meningsfullhet. Att få en diagnos har enligt mina informanter inneburit att de förstår sig själva bättre och att de också har fått en större förståelse från andra. Diagnosen har också fungerat som en förklaringsmodell för ens eget beteende. Förutom att egna beteenden har omdefinierats till att förstås utifrån en medicinsk förklaringsmodell har diagnosen även inneburit att kvinnorna fått tillgång till hjälp och hjälpmedel som exempelvis receptbelagda läkemedel. Det har också underlättat utvecklingen av strategier för att klara av vardagen genom att antingen ”ADHD-säkra” eller använda diagnosen som en felsökningsmanual. Slutligen visar studien, som dess titel skvallrar om, på en alternativ bild av att ha en ADHD-diagnos än den som vanligtvis förmedlas i samhället, där kvinnorna ser på ADHD mer som en uppsättning personlighetsdrag som förvisso kan innebära vissa svårigheter i vardagen men som också för många goda saker med sig så som kreativitet, initiativrikedom och en förmåga att se möjligheter där andra ser problem. / The purpose of this study was to examine the experience and the meaning of being diagnosed with ADHD in young women. The study had a qualitative approach and consists of interviews with three women aged 24 to 30 whom all received their diagnosis after the age of 20. The transcripts from the interviews have been processed through meaning condensation and then content analysis, focusing on sense of coherence, sociology of diagnosis and medicalization. The study aims to answer two questions – how the interviewed women experienced being diagnosed with ADHD and what meaning the diagnosis had for the interviewed women. The results shows that the women in this study mainly had positive experiences of being diagnosed with ADHD and that the diagnosis increased their sense of coherence mainly in regards of comprehensibility and manageability but also regarding meaningfulness. Getting an ADHD-diagnosis has, according to the interviewed women, led to a greater understanding of themselves and also to a more understanding approach from others. The diagnosis has also been used as an explanation model for their own behavior. In addition to own behaviors being redefined to be understood in a medicinal explanation model, the diagnosis has also meant that the women has gained access to help and aids like, for instance, prescription drugs. It has also facilitated the development of strategies for managing everyday life through either “ADHD-securing” and using the diagnosis as a manual for troubleshooting.  Finally, this study shows an alternative picture of having an ADHD-diagnosis that differs from the picture that is usually conveyed in society, where the women in this study perceive ADHD more as a set of personality traits that indeed may cause difficulties in their everyday life but also brings a lot of good things with it, such as creativity, an ability to take initiatives and an ability to see possibilities where others see problems.

Attetion Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, ADHD, är den vanligaste barnpsykiatriska diagnosen.Syftet med denna studie var att beskriva hur skolsköterskan erfar skolsituationen för elevermed ADHD-diagnos. Fyra till sex procent av alla elever i skolan har denna diagnos (ADHD).Skolsköterskan har i sin dagliga kontakt med elever möjlighet att tidigt upptäcka och även tillviss del förhindra utvecklandet av komplikationer. Orsaken till ADHD består främst avgenetiska anlag men sociala faktorer finns och de påverkar hur svår utvecklingen blir.Metoden var en kvalitativ innehållsanalys med induktiv ansats beskriven av Lundman ochHällgren Graneheim. Datainsamlingen gjordes genom intervjuer med sex skolsköterskor. Urdatamaterialet framträdde temat Att förväntas vara som andra, men inte kunna med treunderteman. Resultaten kan användas till att öka förståelsen för elever med ADHD och derasskolsituation. Förhoppningsvis kan insikten om problemets svårighetsgrad öka motivationenatt förbättra situationen i skolan för alla elever och vuxna. Det finns många saker sompåverkar situationen för elever med ADHD, med rätt resurser och förutsättningar gesmöjlighet att påverka elevens utveckling i positiv riktning. / Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, ADHD, is today the most common psychiatricdiagnosis among children. The purpose of this study was to describe school nurses̛experiences of the school situation of pupils with ADHD. Four to six percent of all schoolpupils have been diagnosed with this illness. Due to her daily contact with school children,the school nurse has the opportunity to assist in early detection of ADHD, and can to someextent even prevent the development of possible complications. Genetic predisposition is theprimary cause of ADHD but social factors affect the severity of its development. The methodin this study was qualitative content analysis with an inductive approach described byLundman och Hällgren Graneheim. The data collection was made through interviews with sixschool nurses. Based on the analysis, the theme; Expected to be like the others, but also notbeing able, emerged with three subthemes. The results can be used to increase theunderstanding of pupils with ADHD in their school situation. Hopefully, awareness of theproblem severity increases motivation to improve the situation in schools for all studentsand adults. There are many things that affect the situation for children with ADHD. With theright resources and conditions the opportunity to influence students' development in apositive direction occurs.

The purpose of this study was to determine school psychologists' current level of knowledge about Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), their training and comfort level with that training, their roles and practices in assessing, diagnosing, and treating children and adolescents with ADHD, and their attitudes toward the disorder and those with it. An original survey (see Appendix B) developed for this purpose was distributed to 700 systematically selected members of the National Association of School Psychology (NASP) who were currently practicing in the public schools. A total of 406 usable surveys were returned for a final response rate of 58%.Overall school psychologists are confident in their abilities to deliver services (consultation, assessment, and intervention) to students with ADHD. Respondents underestimated the rate of comorbidity of ADHD with other psychiatric disorders but overestimated the percentage of students with ADHD who also have a learning disability. Respondents most often mentioned diagnosis or identification of the disorder as their goal for assessment of possible ADHD. However, in their rankings of specific goals, respondents ranked the development of appropriate interventions as more important than the diagnosis of the disorder. The most often used standardized tests for ADHD referrals are questionnaires (for parents, teachers, and students) and drawings. Most (57%) school psychologists agreed that they do not determine the diagnosis of ADHD, but rather refer to a medical doctor. A Specific Learning Disability is the most often used special education category for students with ADHD who qualify, followed somewhat closely by Other Health Impaired, then by Emotionally Handicapped. Only 14 percent of the school psychologists surveyed stated that every student with ADHD who did not qualify for special education was considered for accommodations under Section 504. More respondents (83%) agreed that teachers often press to have their problem students diagnosed with ADHD than agreed that parents often press (55%). The majority of respondents (74%) agreed that ADHD is overdiagnosed. However, there was disagreement as to whether stimulant medications were used more often than necessary to treat ADHD. Implications of these findings for school psychologists and for future research are discussed. / Department of Educational Psychology