Abstract
M.A. (Psychology)
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is now
recognised as the most common neurobehavioral disorder of
childhood, affecting children from their earliest infancy
through school and into adult life. (Shaywitz and Shaywitz
1991). It is prevalent in both clinical and normal populations
and consensus ofopinion seems to be that approximately 3%
to 5% of the childhood population has ADHD.( Barkley
1990) The impact that this disorder has on the child and his
immediate world cannot be underestimated, nor can the
reciprocal basis to these behaviours be ignored. While the
basic contention of this paper is that ADHD has a strong
biological/hereditary basis to its development, nevertheless
account must be taken ofthe impact of the child's behaviour
on his surrounding world, and the impact again in turn ofthat
world on the child's behaviour.
In this reciprocal interaction between the child and the
world, definitional problems arise wherein those diagnosed
with ADHD do not consistently show hyperactivity.