Attention deficit hyperactivity disorderin children: Issues, symptoms and psycho-social interventions

Pages: 220-224
Satyananda Panda (Department of Psychology, Sikkim University, Tadong, Gangtok, Sikkim)

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neuro developmental psychiatric disorder in which there are significant problems with attentional and inhibitory control that cause attention deficits, hyperactivity, or impulsiveness which is not appropriate for a person’s age.It’s normal for children to occasionally forget their homework, daydream during class, act without thinking, or get fidgety at the dinner table. But inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity are also signs of attention deficit disorder (ADD/ADHD), which can affect your child’s ability to learn and get along with others. The first step to addressing the problem is to recognize the signs and symptoms. Psychological interventions for ADHD include a range of cognitive behavioural approaches, including behavioural interventions and parent training, cognitive training and social skills training. The behavoiural approaches involve the use of rewards or reinforcers that are judged likely to encourage the young person to implement targeted changes in motor, impulse or attentional control. Parent training is a behaviour therapy intervention in that it teaches the parents to use behaviour therapy techniques with their child. Self-instructional training is probably the most commonly used cognitive therapeutic approach in the psychological treatment of ADHD-I. It comprises several different techniques, including cognitive modelling, self-evaluation, self-reinforcement and response cost. The aim of providing social skills training is to teach the micro skills of social interaction such as eye contact, smiling and body posture. Parents, schools, and practitioners should not put off beginning effective behavioral treatments for children with ADHD-I.