A tripartite classroom-based intervention model for children with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder. (c2005)

Abstract

This project proposes a tripartite model that relies on the concurrent implementation of three forms of interventions for teaching ADHD children in the regular classroom. The model postulates that the combinatory effect of behavioral techniques, environmental interventions, and specific instructional strategies can circumvent the differential nature of deficits associated with ADHD. This model is the culmination of several years of working experience with ADHD children and a comparative analysis of research findings that stem from tlrree discrete domains: biology, psychology, and education. The model targets the underlying neuropsychological deficits of ADHD children rather than their symptomatic manifestations, and suggests that the three forms of interventions are needed for controlling the variety of executive function difficulties affected by the inhibitory control deficit of ADHD as well as the classroom variables that exacerbate or ameliorate those difficulties. This model attempts to respond to a need for a comprehensive educational approach for ADHD children, which aims mainly for enhancing their academic performance. The hypothesized effectiveness of the model still needs to be empirically verified. The prospective limitations and the role of the teacher as the implementing agent of the model are also discussed.