EDUCATIONAL TREATMENT OF ATTENTION DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY

Key words: ADHD, Pharmacological treatment, Psychopedagogical treatment

ADHD syndrome shows: a) certain genetic basis, with an almost certain neurotransmitter (dopaminergic) component and a possible neurostructural basis; b) a possible (overlapped, acquired, and prenatal) lesion; and c) an environmental (educative-existential) basis linked to the structure of family background. The diagnosis is “quantitative”, based upon the sum of the triad hyperactivity, impulsivity, and distraction (DSM-IV). The therapy consists of pharmacological treatment (especially for the most critical cases) and of psychopedagogical treatment that sometimes may be sufficient. The strategies of the latter include: verbal self-instruction, in order to stimulate the learning of self-regulation and self-monitoring through an interior dialogue; the most convenient response, in order to motivate the self-regulation through operative learning; and cognitive self-monitoring, in order to improve attention capacity.