Recently, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) is getting a lot of attention mainly for two reasons. First, it is one of the most commonly found childhood behavioral disorders. Around 5-10% of the children all over the world are diagnosed with ADHD. Second, the root cause of the problem is still unknown and therefore no biological measure exists to diagnose ADHD. Instead, doctors need to diagnose it based on the clinical symptoms, such as inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity, which are all subjective. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) data has become a popular tool to understand the functioning of the brain such as identifying the brain regions responsible for different cognitive tasks or analyzing the statistical differences of the brain functioning between the diseased and control subjects. ADHD is also being studied using the fMRI data. In this dissertation we aim to solve the problem of automatic diagnosis of the ADHD subjects using their resting state fMRI (rs-fMRI) data. As a core step of our approach, we model the functions of a brain as a connectivity network, which is expected to capture the information about how synchronous different brain regions are in terms of their functional activities. The network is constructed by representing different brain regions as the nodes where any two nodes of the network are connected by an edge if the correlation of the activity patterns of the two nodes is higher than some threshold. The brain regions, represented as the nodes of the network, can be selected at different granularities e.g. single voxels or cluster of functionally homogeneous voxels. The topological differences of the constructed networks of the ADHD and control group of subjects are then exploited in the classification approach. We have developed a simple method employing the Bag-of-Words (BoW) framework for the classification of the ADHD subjects. We represent each node in the network by a 4-D feature vector: node degree and 3-D location. The 4-D vectors of all the network nodes of the training data are then grouped in a number of clusters using K-means; where each such cluster is termed as a word. Finally, each subject is represented by a histogram (bag) of such words. The Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier is used for the detection of the ADHD subjects using their histogram representation. The method is able to achieve 64% classification accuracy. The above simple approach has several shortcomings. First, there is a loss of spatial information while constructing the histogram because it only counts the occurrences of words ignoring the spatial positions. Second, features from the whole brain are used for classification, but some of the brain regions may not contain any useful information and may only increase the feature dimensions and noise of the system. Third, in our study we used only one network feature, the degree of a node which measures the connectivity of the node, while other complex network features may be useful for solving the proposed problem. In order to address the above shortcomings, we hypothesize that only a subset of the nodes of the network possesses important information for the classification of the ADHD subjects. To identify the important nodes of the network we have developed a novel algorithm. The algorithm generates different random subset of nodes each time extracting the features from a subset to compute the feature vector and perform classification. The subsets are then ranked based on the classification accuracy and the occurrences of each node in the top ranked subsets are measured. Our algorithm selects the highly occurring nodes for the final classification. Furthermore, along with the node degree, we employ three more node features: network cycles, the varying distance degree and the edge weight sum. We concatenate the features of the selected nodes in a fixed order to preserve the relative spatial information. Experimental validation suggests that the use of the features from the nodes selected using our algorithm indeed help to improve the classification accuracy. Also, our finding is in concordance with the existing literature as the brain regions identified by our algorithms are independently found by many other studies on the ADHD. We achieved a classification accuracy of 69.59% using this approach. However, since this method represents each voxel as a node of the network which makes the number of nodes of the network several thousands. As a result, the network construction step becomes computationally very expensive. Another limitation of the approach is that the network features, which are computed for each node of the network, captures only the local structures while ignore the global structure of the network. Next, in order to capture the global structure of the networks, we use the Multi-Dimensional Scaling (MDS) technique to project all the subjects from an unknown network-space to a low dimensional space based on their inter-network distance measures. For the purpose of computing distance between two networks, we represent each node by a set of attributes such as the node degree, the average power, the physical location, the neighbor node degrees, and the average powers of the neighbor nodes. The nodes of the two networks are then mapped in such a way that for all pair of nodes, the sum of the attribute distances, which is the inter-network distance, is minimized. To reduce the network computation cost, we enforce that the maximum relevant information is preserved with minimum redundancy. To achieve this, the nodes of the network are constructed with clusters of highly active voxels while the activity levels of the voxels are measured based on the average power of their corresponding fMRI time-series. Our method shows promise as we achieve impressive classification accuracies (73.55%) on the ADHD-200 data set. Our results also reveal that the detection rates are higher when classification is performed separately on the male and female groups of subjects. So far, we have only used the fMRI data for solving the ADHD diagnosis problem. Finally, we investigated the answers of the following questions. Do the structural brain images contain useful information related to the ADHD diagnosis problem? Can the classification accuracy of the automatic diagnosis system be improved combining the information of the structural and functional brain data? Towards that end, we developed a new method to combine the information of structural and functional brain images in a late fusion framework. For structural data we input the gray matter (GM) brain images to a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). The output of the CNN is a feature vector per subject which is used to train the SVM classifier. For the functional data we compute the average power of each voxel based on its fMRI time series. The average power of the fMRI time series of a voxel measures the activity level of the voxel. We found significant differences in the voxel power distribution patterns of the ADHD and control groups of subjects. The Local binary pattern (LBP) texture feature is used on the voxel power map to capture these differences. We achieved 74.23% accuracy using GM features, 77.30% using LBP features and 79.14% using combined information. In summary this dissertation demonstrated that the structural and functional brain imaging data are useful for the automatic detection of the ADHD subjects as we achieve impressive classification accuracies on the ADHD-200 data set. Our study also helps to identify the brain regions which are useful for ADHD subject classification. These findings can help in understanding the pathophysiology of the problem. Finally, we expect that our approaches will contribute towards the development of a biological measure for the diagnosis of the ADHD subjects.

The main objective of this study is to construct a profile on the child with Fetal alcohol syndrome that can assist individuals working with these children. The focus of the study is the recognition of the emotional needs of the child with Fetal alcohol syndrome. Most studies done previously suggest that children with Fetal alcohol syndrome show behaviour similar to children with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. Although a child with Fetal alcohol syndrome shows the same characteristics as a child with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, the manifestation of their emotional needs differ. The Child with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder does not necessarily show symptoms of cognitive developmental delay where the child with Fetal alcohol syndrome show symptoms of cognitive developmental delays. A Gestalt play therapy model has been used to show that through play therapy the child with Fetal alcohol syndrome can be guided to emotional awareness. These techniques are easy to use and applicable in class situations where the childcare worker, teachers or counselor work with the child with Fetal alcohol syndrome. The empirical research was done by means of quantitative research with was done by using the Conner symptom checklist to determine if the child with Fetal alcohol syndrome is hyperactive and impulsive and qualitative research with was done by means of participating observation Gestalt play therapy with the child with Fetal alcohol syndrome. The results show that the child with Fetal alcohol syndrome is hyperactive, impulsive and inattentional. These guidelines provided in the study will help the teacher and the child with Fetal alcohol syndrome cope better in the classroom environment and the child will learn how to cope with his emotional behaviours. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

The main objective of this study is to construct a profile on the child with Fetal alcohol syndrome that can assist individuals working with these children. The focus of the study is the recognition of the emotional needs of the child with Fetal alcohol syndrome. Most studies done previously suggest that children with Fetal alcohol syndrome show behaviour similar to children with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. Although a child with Fetal alcohol syndrome shows the same characteristics as a child with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, the manifestation of their emotional needs differ. The Child with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder does not necessarily show symptoms of cognitive developmental delay where the child with Fetal alcohol syndrome show symptoms of cognitive developmental delays. A Gestalt play therapy model has been used to show that through play therapy the child with Fetal alcohol syndrome can be guided to emotional awareness. These techniques are easy to use and applicable in class situations where the childcare worker, teachers or counselor work with the child with Fetal alcohol syndrome. The empirical research was done by means of quantitative research with was done by using the Conner symptom checklist to determine if the child with Fetal alcohol syndrome is hyperactive and impulsive and qualitative research with was done by means of participating observation Gestalt play therapy with the child with Fetal alcohol syndrome. The results show that the child with Fetal alcohol syndrome is hyperactive, impulsive and inattentional. These guidelines provided in the study will help the teacher and the child with Fetal alcohol syndrome cope better in the classroom environment and the child will learn how to cope with his emotional behaviours. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

There is a tendency for children who display unacceptable behaviour to be described as having Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder when the actual reason for the child’s diagnosis may simply be affective factors, another disorder or simply misbehaviour. ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed child disorder affecting 3-5% of all school age children. The aim was to investigate the prevalence of Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder in a sample of Foundation Phase children at an Inclusive ex Model C Preparatory School in the South Metro, Western Cape, by uncovering the criteria that are used by their teachers to suggest a possible Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder in a child for a referral to a parent, therapist or professional. This study used a phenomenology design making use of interpretations, meanings and an individual’s opinions regarding the teacher’s criteria, which relate to the diagnosis of ADHD. It required a qualitative analysis with the emphasis on observation, interviews and document analysis. A verbal Interview consisting of questions which were taped and transcribed, as well as an observation, and completion of a Connors Form of the selected children was completed by the teachers. Ten class teachers were interviewed and seven children from Grades one, two and three were observed. A model from Creswell was used, in order to identify the units of meaning relating to the prevalence of ADHD amongst learners in the South Metro District. The findings include lack of understanding of ADHD amongst teachers, subjectivity in the diagnosis of learners with ADHD, factors influencing the diagnosis of ADHD, criteria necessary to identify ADHD and stereotyping differences. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

No description available.

Much has been said and written over recent years about Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. There is a certain amount of confusion as to what exactly the condition constitutes and controversy continues to rage regarding treatment. A significant number of children appear to be affected. Previously, parents and teachers ·were blamed for failing to discipline effectively. Often, the difficulties remained undiagnosed and untreated. Thanks to the wisdom of so many experts who have generously shared their knowledge and considerable expertise, there is an increased awareness of ADHD. Although there is no cure, there are ways to manage the difficulties. However, early diagnosis and intervention is critical. Since many different symptoms are associated with the disorder, a multi-modal treatment plan has been found to lead to a better outcome. For the purpose of this study, a multi-modal programme was planned to address the needs of a small group of children with ADHD and their parents. The intention was to empower the parents, within a supportive group environment, by providing them with knowledge about the disorder and guidelines for managing the difficult behaviour. In addition, an attempt was made to change the negative behaviour patterns of the children through the medium of story-telling. It was hoped that by reducing the levels of parental stress, parents would be more competent to cope with their educational demands, so that their children could be guided more positively towards adulthood. The results of the programme were positive. Teachers and parents reported better behaviour by the children. The parents' stress levels were reduced. The parents expressed greater understanding about the disorder and a hopefulness that they could better manage their children. They felt they had benefitted from the advice given by other parents who were facing similar challenges. However, they felt that a short-term programme was insufficient to address all their needs and they expressed a need for ongoing support. In view of the chronicity of the disorder and the constantly changing needs of the child on his journey towards adulthood, cognisance was taken of the fact that longterm intervention is essential. / Psychology of Education / D.Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Much has been said and written over recent years about Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. There is a certain amount of confusion as to what exactly the condition constitutes and controversy continues to rage regarding treatment. A significant number of children appear to be affected. Previously, parents and teachers ·were blamed for failing to discipline effectively. Often, the difficulties remained undiagnosed and untreated. Thanks to the wisdom of so many experts who have generously shared their knowledge and considerable expertise, there is an increased awareness of ADHD. Although there is no cure, there are ways to manage the difficulties. However, early diagnosis and intervention is critical. Since many different symptoms are associated with the disorder, a multi-modal treatment plan has been found to lead to a better outcome. For the purpose of this study, a multi-modal programme was planned to address the needs of a small group of children with ADHD and their parents. The intention was to empower the parents, within a supportive group environment, by providing them with knowledge about the disorder and guidelines for managing the difficult behaviour. In addition, an attempt was made to change the negative behaviour patterns of the children through the medium of story-telling. It was hoped that by reducing the levels of parental stress, parents would be more competent to cope with their educational demands, so that their children could be guided more positively towards adulthood. The results of the programme were positive. Teachers and parents reported better behaviour by the children. The parents' stress levels were reduced. The parents expressed greater understanding about the disorder and a hopefulness that they could better manage their children. They felt they had benefitted from the advice given by other parents who were facing similar challenges. However, they felt that a short-term programme was insufficient to address all their needs and they expressed a need for ongoing support. In view of the chronicity of the disorder and the constantly changing needs of the child on his journey towards adulthood, cognisance was taken of the fact that longterm intervention is essential. / Psychology of Education / D.Ed. (Psychology of Education)

The present thesis sought to compare participation in social types of play of children with and without hyperactivity in a Swedish preschool context. Based upon observational design of cross-sectional type, this study was built on a secondary analysis of data collected within two previous research projects that were merged into one dataset. A total of 583 children (n = 298 boys) aged 16 to 72 months (M = 52.55, SD = 11.01) were initially included in the sample. Preschool teachers rated children’s behavior difficulties on a hyperactivity scale using Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Structured observations of children’s attendance, engagement, verbal interaction, proximity and location during associative and cooperative interaction were conducted across day-long visits by three trained researchers using Children Observation in Pre- school (COP) tool. Conditional probability looping syntaxes were created and Independent sample t-Tests were used to analyze the data. Out of 572 children included in the analysis, n = 60 (10,2%) were rated as having some form of hyperactivity. On the whole, the findings illustrated that the observed averages of attendance and overall engagement in social types of play did not differ significantly between children with and without hyperactivity. However, an in-depth analysis of participation patterns, linked to contextual and environmental factors such as proximity and play location, revealed several considerable differences between the two groups of children. It seems that preschoolers with hyperactive behavior seek social play opportunities as much as their typical behavior peers, but the quality aspects of their experience defined by a specific context and environment may differ further as the interaction develops. Contextual and environmental factors are crucial determinants to take into account when studying participation. Play, operating as a natural booster of self-regulation and engagement may have the potential to serve as a mediating factor accommodating hyperactivity and promoting participation in Early Childhood Education settings.

Introduktion: ADHD är en uppmärksamhet -och hyperaktiv störning, där 90 % i Sverige behandlas med det farmakologiska läkemedlet Metylfenidat (MPH). En stor andel med ADHD utvecklar psykiatrisk komorbiditet i form av psykisk ohälsa (frånvaro av mentalt välbefinnande). Patofysiologin hur MPH påverkar hjärnan är okänd och behandlingsformen har diskuterats som bristfällig på grund av förekommande bieffekter. Fysisk aktivitet har föreslagits som ett hälsosammare behandlingsalternativ, då evidens visat att fysisk aktivitet kan förbättra ADHD-symptom och samsjuklighet av psykisk ohälsa. Det finns inga studier som undersökt hur individer med ADHD upplever nuvarande- och önskar behandling. Syftet med denna studie blev därför att undersöka upplevda erfarenheter av ADHD och hur det farmakologiska läkemedlet MPH och fysisk aktivitet upplevs ha påverkat diagnosens symptom och individernas psykiska hälsa samt att ta reda på vilken behandling individerna önskar utifrån deras livserfarenheter. Metoden utgick från ett fenomenologiskt ramverk med hjälp av en deskriptiv kvalitativ tvärsnittsstudie, där data extraherades genom en innehållsanalys med en induktiv ansats. Urvalet selekterades genom snöbollsurval, där inklusionskriteriet var att deltagarna blivit diagnostiserad med ADHD och har erfarenheter av MPH och fysisk aktivitet. Resultatet visade att symptom för ADHD var problematik med koncentration-, hyperaktivitet-, uppmärksamhet- och systematiska svårigheter, där symptom försämrat den psykiska hälsan. Det framgick att både MPH och fysisk aktivitet effektiviserade symptom mot koncentration, hyperaktivitet och uppmärksamhet, varav KBT (kognitiv beteendeterapi) förbättrade systematiska svårigheter. Vidare bidrog MPH med fysiska, mentala och beteendeföränderliga bieffekter som försämrade den psykiska hälsan. Fysisk aktivitet visade däremot förbättra den psykiska hälsan, där inaktivitet framgick som en central nackdel för förvärring av symptom och psykisk hälsa. Deltagarnas önskan var att behandling bör uppföljas och baseras på en överenskommelse som anpassas efter individuella svårigheter och hälsotillstånd. Slutsatsen med studien kom fram till att behandlas med fysisk aktivitet i kombination med KBT skulle vara hälsosammare som första behandling mot samtliga ADHD-symptom och psykisk hälsa. I andra hand var det deltagarnas önskan att applicera MPH vid akut behov, och är därav förslag att forska fram MPH som engångsbehandling som kan användas vid inaktiva tillstånd. Studien kom fram till att inkludering av fler idrottsvetenskapliga tjänster till vård och skola behövs för mer kompetens om vikten av fysisk aktivitet för individer som har ADHD. / Introduction: ADHD is an attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, where 90% in Sweden is treated with the pharmacological drug Methylphenidate (MPH). People diagnosed with ADHD develop often psychiatric comorbidity in form of mental illness. The pathophysiology behind how MPH influence the brain is unknown and the treatment have been discussed as deficient due to side effects. Physical activity has been suggested as a healthier treatment option, as evidence shows that physical activity can improve ADHD-symptoms and comorbidity of mental illness. There are no studies that have invastigate how individuals with ADHD experience current- and desired treatment. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the experiences of having ADHD and how the pharmacological treatment MPH and physical activity has affected the symptoms and mental health, and also find out what treatment the individuals want based on their life experiences. The method was derived from a phenomenological framework using a descriptive qualitative cross-sectional study. Data was analyzed with an inductive approach using an interpretive analysis. Participants was recruited through a snowball selection, where the inclusion criteria stated that participants been diagnosed with ADHD and have experience of MPH and physical activity. The results showed that the frequent occurring symptoms of ADHD were difficulties with concentration-, hyperactivity-, attention- and systematic symptoms, where symptoms had shown a negative effect on the mental health. It appeared that both MPH and physical activity made symptom improvement against concentration-, hyperactivity- and attention difficulties, while CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) improved systematic difficulties. MPH contributed to side effects that affected physiological-, psychological- and behavioral aspects, which all were perceived to have a negative influence on mental health. In contrast, physical activity improved mental health and showed no evidence of side effects, except when physical activity was absent from daily life. Inactivity appeard to be a central disadvantage for worsening symptoms and mental health. The participants desired that their treatment should be tailored to individual difficulties and health condition in a collaborative way and with follow-up from the health care worker. The study concluded that physical activity in combination with CBT would be a healthier as first treatment option to reduce symptoms of ADHD and improve mental heatlh. Additionally, the participants desired treatment with MPH in form of single doses for urgent need, and it is therefore to suggest development of such treatment option. Furthermore, the study proposes more services for sport science within healthcare and schools for containing applicable knowledge in physical activity for dose with ADHD.