Management of Children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Learning Disabilities: A Survey of Paediatric Occupational Therapists in the United Kingdom

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common complex neuropsychiatric disorder frequently overlapping with learning disabilities (LD) in children with average and above intelligence (Biederman et al 1991). The complex needs of these children could be better addressed in a multidisciplinary context (Foy & Earls 2005) within which paediatric occupational therapists may have a significant role. The aim of this study was to identify the interventions used by occupational therapists in the United Kingdom with these children and explore the rationale for their use. The purpose was to provide baseline data to inform multidisciplinary team approaches for the management of these children. A survey, based on postal questionnaires, was conducted among 100 paediatric occupational therapists in the United Kingdom. The effective rate of response was 42%. Both qualitative and quantitative data were gathered and analysed. The findings suggested that therapists tended to use more than one method/ approach in the rehabilitation of these children. The sensory integration approach and the perceptual-motor training were more popular among therapists. A variety of other approaches, used on an individual needs basis, were reportedly used. Future studies to test the effectiveness of reported practices with children with both ADHD and LD are recommended

An evaluation of constructivism for learners with ADHD: Development of a constructivist pedagogy for special needs

We examine whether constructivist eLearning tools can be used to help learners cope with special educational needs, such as difficulties with attention and concentration. Preliminary work is reported here, in which we seek to determine the reasons why a constructivist approach is difficult for learners with ADHD. This work is intended to lead to recommendations of how learners with ADHD could benefit from constructivist eLearning systems, e.g. through the managed use of multimedia technology. A preliminary model has been developed that illustrates the areas in which constructivist pedagogies need to address the limitations of ADHD learners. Further work will expand this model and eventually test it in a real environment (e.g. in a school with ADHD learners). The outcome will encourage a reconsideration of existing multimedia theories as they relate to learners with special needs, and provide new directions in order to support learners with ADHD