Background: The two most common neuropsychiatric disabilities are attention deficithyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Functional impairmentsentail some difficulties for the child that affects the family situation such as interaction withother people and learning and memory difficulties. Aim: The aim of this study was to illuminate the family's experience of living with childrenwho have a neuropsychiatric disability. Method: A qualitative approach was used for this literature based study. The CINAHL and PubMed databases were used to search for scientific articles. Through systematic searches we found ten articles and these were analyzed using Friberg's five-step method. Results: The result is presented on the basis of three themes: An everyday battle, Experiences of understanding and support from the outside world and Family life in light and darkness. It shows that it was a daily struggle for family members in their daily lives. The parents experienced a lack of understanding from the outside world and received limited support. Several parents felt socially isolated and alone. Their daily situation ended up in strong emotions. Conclusion: This study provides an understanding of how family members experience their everyday situation with the child with neuropsychiatric disability. The family relationship was affected in one way or another and it was important for family members to receive support. The nurse has an important responsibility to provide the support and care that family members need to avoid suffering.

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

M.Ed. (Education and Learning Support) / This study focused on the design, implementation and reflection of the development of a workshop for educators with regards to understanding and effectively managing learners with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in their classrooms. This study was done in an action research framework in four specific stages, (a) the educators role, (b) educators knowledge about teaching, (c) teaching practices, and (d) reflective practices. Data was collected from a video recording of the workshop on ADHD, an informal focus group assessment questionnaire, and collection of participant's artifacts of the activities during the workshop. Educators who were engaged in the stages of action research during the workshop were provided with theory, strategies, and a checklists on ADHD. This structure assisted educators through the process of becoming knowledgeable, effective, and reflective managers of learners with ADHD.

M.A. (Clinical Psychology) / The purpose of this study was to determine whether children who are diagnosed as having Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD), and Geschwind's syndrome, show a tendency to greater allergic responsivity manifesting in a greater sensitivity to specific foods than a control group. In order to test out these predictions, it had to be assessed whether these children displayed differential sensitivity to the food groups of sugar, dairy products and artificial flavouring and colouring. It was also necessary to establish whether these children will show a decrease in levels of activity contingent upon withdrawal of a foodstuff to which a differential sensitivity has been demonstrated. The subjects participating in this study were rated on a Conners Rating Scale to assess the degree of hyperactive behaviour, by both parents and teachers over a six week period. The overall pattern of results indicated that children with a combined diagnosis of ADHD and Geschwind's syndrome would show a greater behavioural responsivity to certain foodstuffs, and contingent upon their withdrawal, show a significant decrease in hyperactive behaviour. It is proposed that the study be repeated utilising a larger sample.

Ph.D. (Psychology) / Attention deficit disorder, or its theoretical antecedent minimal brain dysfunction, has been the subject of numerous investigations as to the nature and cause of this disturbance that so often affects children. Although the findings of these studies appear to be equivocal as regards the precise cause of the condition, there are numerous indications in the literature that there might indeed be a neurological, albeit a "soft" neurological basis or cause, for this disturbance. A study was performed to test the hypothesis that minimal brain dysfunction indeed has its basis in higher cortical dysfunctions as assessed within the context of neuropsychological investigations. In order to perform the study, two measures of neuropsychological functioning, the Luria-Nebraska neuropsychological investigation for children and the Majovski determination of higher cortical functions in children and adolescents were subjected to a determination of its validity within the South African context. Subsequently these tests were applied to two groups of children with organic brain damage, a group of children diagnosed as having minimal brain dysfunction, a group of children with emotional disturbance, and a group of normal children. The two groups of organically brain damaged children consisted of a group of children with predominantly left hemispheric brain damage and a group of children with predominantly right hemispheric brain damage. It was postulated that children with minimal brain dysfunction would show less higher cortical dysfunction than the two groups of children with organic brain damage, but more higher cortical dysfunction than the normal children, and the children with emotional disturbance. The validation procedure indicated that both measures of neuropsychological functioning have adequate validity in terms...

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has become the disorder of the nineties. The name has been bandied about by experts, teachers, parents, lay people and specifically the media, however, when a child or children are diagnosed with this disorder, parents, and in particular for this study, mothers, are left feeling confused, frightened and uncertain. The method of treatment is the specific study of this research. Ritalin is the most popular form of treatment utilised for the alleviation of symptoms, yet mothers are afraid they are drugging their children or taking the easy way out. Constant media hype and ignorance exacerbate the mother’s experiences and they are left in a quandary of which course to follow. The purpose of this research was to investigate if mothers share similar experiences when administering Ritalin for the treatment of symptoms of ADHD. Literature indicates enormous controversy surrounding this disorder and in particular the treatment methods recommended to alleviate symptoms. There are two strongly opposed camps regarding the negativity or positivity toward utilising this schedule 7 drug. Media publicity intensifies the individual’s uncertainty of administering this drug and suggests bad parenting as the reason mothers resort to Ritalin. The goal of this study is to highlight the mother’s experiences and to become aware of their feelings and isolation when being advised that their child or children have ADHD. The lack of awareness and the uncertainty of which course to follow seems to have profound affects and cause mothers to have negative experiences. The purpose of this research is to see if mothers share similar experiences regarding the administering of Ritalin as a treatment method for ADHD. The researcher is hopeful that the outcome of this small study will assist experts, counselors and lay people to empathize and recognize the mother’s plight in this regard, and consequently for them not to feel as troubled and unaided without this knowledge. Finally, she expects that the research may help mothers to be aware that they are not alone with their predicament and sense of apprehension and uncertainty regarding the administering of a drug like Ritalin to assist in alleviating the symptoms presented. / Dissertation (MA (Counselling Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Psychology / unrestricted

The purpose of this research was to determine if a multi-component consultation intervention was effective in improving pragmatic performance in students with ADHD. Participants for this study consisted of 7 children for whom 3 data points were obtained by a parent or 2 data points by a teacher. Changes in pragmatic performance were measured by comparing reports provided by parents or teachers pre- and post- intervention. Descriptive analysis procedures were completed to summarize changes in pragmatic behavior. Results revealed the mean overall change in pragmatic behavior for children in the MCC condition (Χ=1.133) was greater than the change seen in the CAU condition (.334) after 2 months of intervention as per parent reported data. Data indicated improvement in each behavior but incongruence between teachers and parents was found. Results support the hypothesis that the multi-component consultation intervention is effective in improving the pragmatic language performance of children with ADHD.

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) is not a new phenomenon. Researchers have studied children with restless, inattentive and impulsive types of behaviours for over one hundred years. Although the primary distress of AD/HD falls mainly on the child’s shoulders, all family members experience the disorder’s negative effects. While the challenges that families have to face are many, families seem to have the ability to “bounce back” (i.e., they have resilience). There has been limited research to date focusing on the resiliency of families living with children diagnosed with AD/HD. Research on the construct of resilience, and more specifically, family resilience has surged in recent times. However, South African research on family resilience is limited. This study aimed to explore and describe the factors that facilitate adjustment and adaptation in families after a child has been clinically diagnosed with AD/HD. The Resiliency Model of Family Stress, Adjustment and Adaptation, developed by McCubbin and McCubbin (2001) served as a framework to conceptualize the families’ adjustment and adaptation processes. Non-probability purposive sampling was used in order to gain participants for the study. Twenty-two families participated in this study, providing a total of 44 participants. Participants consisted of the caregivers of a family living with a child diagnosed with AD/HD, between the ages of seven and 12. The study was triangular in nature, with an exploratory, descriptive approach. A biographical questionnaire with an open-ended question was used in conjunction with seven other questionnaires to gather data. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the biographical information. Quantitative data were analyzed by means of correlation and regression analysis, and content analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data obtained from the biographical questionnaire. The results of the quantitative analysis indicated six significant positive correlations with the FACI8. These variables were relative and friend support, social support, problem solving and behavioural strategies, family hardiness, family problem-solving communication and family time and routines. The results of the qualitative analysis revealed that social support, adherence to a treatment regime, information and knowledge about AD/HD, a supportive family unit, the caregiver’s acceptance of the disorder as well as communication were the most important strength factors identified. The findings of the research could assist parents in managing their children diagnosed with AD/HD more effectively and has helped create further insight into what resiliency areas they could improve upon. Furthermore, this study could be used as a stepping stone for future research on resilience in families living with a pervasive psychological disorder and will contribute to the broader context of family resilience research in the South African context.

This thesis was designed to investigate differences in aggression between girls with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Forty girls with ADHD and 43 girls without ADHD aged 9- to 12- years and their mothers and teachers participated. A multiassessment methodology was used to investigate these differences, employing mothers' reports, teachers' reports, and a laboratory aggression analogue task (a computer game involving simulated girls in other rooms). The results indicated that mothers and teachers saw girls with ADHD as having much higher levels of all types of aggression assessed, including overt, relational, proactive, and reactive aggression, than girls in the control group. On the lab task, girls with ADHD used a strategy that involved more threatening and bragging comments, and social exclusions of their co-players. Expected differences on some of the lab task measures did not emerge. Also, according to mothers, teachers, and the results from the lab task, girls with ADHD were significantly less prosocial than girls in the control group. Where significant group differences had been found, follow-up tests generally indicated that girls with ADHD and comorbid oppositional-defiant disorder (ODD) were more aggressive than girls in the control group, with girls with ADHD but not ODD falling in between. In sum, these results indicate substantial cause for concern for the concurrent and future psychosocial well-being of girls with ADHD. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

M.Ed. / This study investigates parents' conception of their children who have been diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD). The view being to describe and explain their conception and to lay down principles for the implementation of parental guidance. The rationale for this study is derived from the researcher's experiences that parents' emotions, experiences and points of view are seldom taken into account in the multidisciplinary intervention process regarding children with AD/HD. Parents are the primary educators of their children, therefore it is important to involve the parents in the intervention process. For the involvement to be of optimal value, therapists need to have an understanding of the conceptions of these parents regarding children with AD/HD. Therapists who know where the parents are, and what their emotions and experiences are, find themselves in a better position to provide relevant parental guidance in an empathetic manner. This study presents a framework of theory in which AD/HD is clearly explicated. The experiences and needs of parents of children with AD/HD and the role of parental guidance is discussed. The focus then shifts to therapy and parental guidance from a constructivistic perspective. In the constructivistic view the therapist is the facilitator of change and this has implications for the goal of therapy and the therapeutic relationship. Parental guidance from a constructivistic perspective is recommended as an alternative way of involving parents (with their emotions, experiences and conceptions) in the process of helping children with AD/HD. The framework of theory is followed by a chapter on the design of the research, substantiating the choice of format and methods of data collection and analysis. The data is reported in the final chapter. Examples of raw data from transcriptions and sketches are presented. Finally, the consolidated data is interpreted. The most significant findings of this study are that parents of children with AD/HD experience their educational task as problematic, that these parents don't receive any form of (structured) parental guidance and/or support and that they experience a great need for the latter. iv This study proposes that a parental guidance program should be implemented in order to meet the needs of the parents of children with AD/HD and to provide them with the necessary support. Five implications for the implementation of such a program are discussed. The study concludes with the thought that children with AD/HD who live in a happy and supportive family unit, have a far better chance to reach their full potential and to be successful in life than those who don't. It is therefore important to assist parents in the provision of such an environment.