The overall aim of this thesis was to describe and explore the experiences of support in school of adolescents and young adults with neuropsychiatric disabilities. Furthermore, the aim was to explore support that influences the occupational transition to upper secondary school, further education and work. The two first studies investigated computer use in educational activities and during leisure activities by adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Study II also aimed to explore how traditional leisure activities and Internet activities interrelate among adolescents with ADHD. In Studies I and II data was collected using a questionnaire focusing on information and communication technology (ICT) use in school and leisure. Adolescents with ADHD (n = 102) aged 12-18 years were compared with adolescents with physical disabilities (Study I) and adolescents from the general population (Studies I and II). In Study III the aim was to describe the experiences of support at school among young adults with AS and ADHD, and to explore what support they, in retrospect, described as influencing learning. Study IV aimed to describe the occupational transition process to upper secondary school, further education and/or work and to explore what support influenced the process from the perspectives of young adults with AS or ADHD. Studies III (n=13) and IV (n=15) used qualitative semi-structured interviews with young adults with AS or ADHD, aged 18-30 years and were analysed using hermeneutics according to Gadamer. The findings of Study I showed that students with ADHD reported significantly less frequent use of computers for almost all educational activities compared with students with physical disabilities and students from the general population. They reported low satisfaction with computer use in school and a desire to use computers more often and for more activities in school compared with students with physical disabilities. Study II showed that Internet activities among adolescents with ADHD during leisure, tended to focus on online games. Furthermore, analysis demonstrated that Internet activities were broadening leisure activities among adolescents with ADHD, rather than being a substitute for traditional leisure activities. Study III found that young adults with AS or ADHD experienced difficulties at school that included academic, social, and emotional aspects, all of which influenced learning. Support addressing difficulties with academic performance was described as insufficient and only occasionally provided in school. In conclusion, support for learning among students with AS or ADHD needs to combine academic and psychosicial support. The findings of Study IV identified three different pathways following compulsory school. Support influencing the occupational transition process included: occupational transition preparation in compulsory school, practical work experience in a safe environment, and support beyond the workplace. Support from community-based day centres was described both as an important step towards work in the regular labour market, as well as being too far away from the regular labour market. In conclusion, this thesis revealed that support in school among students with AS or ADHD needs to combine academic and psychosocial support. Despite being regarded as facilitating learning, individuals with ADHD or AS reported limited computer and Internet use in school. Based on the results it is suggested that Internet activities may provide adolescents with neuropsychiatric disabilities with new opportunities for social interaction and educational activities. On the basis of the results it is suggested that the occupational transition process should be viewed as a longitudinal one, starting in compulsory school and continuing on until young adults obtain and are able to remain in work or further education. This thesis revealed that extended transition planning, inter-service collaboration and support from communitybased day centres were aspects of the environment that influenced the occupational transition process.

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Cette recherche de thèse porte sur les liens entre addiction à internet, facteurs prédisposant, et modalités d’utilisation d’internet. Sur la base d’une approche transactionnelle du stress, elle a pour objectif d’étudier la question de la gestion des émotions dans le rapport addictif des participants à ce média, ainsi que les liens entre l’addiction à internet et les différentes modalités d’utilisation d’internet selon le genre. Avec une approche quantitative, nos hypothèses visent tout d’abord à mettre en évidence que l’alexithymie, l’anhédonie, l’empathie, la dépression et anxiété, certains styles de coping, le stress, et les stresseurs sont des facteurs prédictifs de l’addiction à internet ; mais également que certaines modalités d’utilisation d’internet sont plus particulièrement associées à un usage addictif, et ce, différemment selon le genre. Dans une approche plus qualitative (approche des mondes lexicaux), nous étudierons ensuite les représentations que les sujets ont d’internet et du virtuel, selon qu’ils soient addictés à internet, non addictés, ou usagers à risque. La population étudiée est représentée par deux échantillons d’étudiants en première année d’université: un premier échantillon de 244 sujets (m=24.09 ans), et un second échantillon de 515 sujets (m=20 ans).Nos résultats montrent d’une part que l’alexithymie, l’empathie, la dépression, le coping « évitement avec pensée positive » et « autoaccusation », et le stress, sont des facteurs prédictifs de l’addiction à internet ; et d’autre part que si le chat, les sites sociaux, et le webmastering sont plus spécifiquement associés à l’addiction à internet, ces modalités d’utilisation diffèrent selon le genre. / The current study examines the association between internet addiction, predictive factors, and types of internet activities. Adopting transactional stress theory, our objectives are to study the question of emotions management in the participants’ addictive relationship to Internet, as well as links between internet addiction and the various modalities of internet use according to gender. With a quantitative approach, hypothesis aim first of all at bringing to light that alexithymia, anhédonia, empathy, depression and anxiety, some of coping styles, stress, and stressors are predictive factors of internet addiction ; but either than some of the internet use modalities are more particularly associated with an addictif usage, and this, differently according to gender. In a more qualitative approach (approach of the lexical worlds), we shall study then the subjects’ representations of internet and virtual, as they are internet addicts, non addicts, or potential addicts. The studied population is represented by two first-year university students' samples: the first sample is represented by 244 students (m=24.09 years old), and the second by 515 students (m=20 years old).Results support on one hand that alexithymia, empathy, depression, avoidant coping styles, and stress, are predictive factors of internet addiction ; and on the other hand that if chatting, networking sites, and webmastering are more specifically associated to the internet addiction, these modalities of use differ according to the gender.