Symptom Expression in Hyperactive Children

Abstract

Hyperactivity is typically diagnosed when children display overactivity, inappropriate inattention, and impulsivity during the school day when involved in tasks that require sustained and voluntary attention. However, distinguishing children with hyperactivity from children with other learning and behavior disorders is often difficult because of an overlap in symptom expression. Some studies have failed to find any factors associated only with the hyperactive syndrome. The present study compared the behavior of students diagnosed as hyperactive or having attention deficit disorder to students diagnosed as having learning disabilities. Symptoms associated with overactivity, inattention, and impulsivity of 19 hyperactive and 17 nonhyperactive (learning disordered) students were observed and counted using a direct diagnostic procedure following a momentary time sampling technique. Analyses revealed that differences between the groups were often qualitative rather than quantitative, and only a few symptoms distinguished one diagnosis from the other. Hyperactive students demonstrated more talking, unsystematic search, and motor impersistence than nonhyperactive students. Nonhyperactive students demonstrated more upper extremity movement and displayed more inattention when engaged in visual tasks than hyperactive students. The findings questioned the use of general categories of behavior such as overactivity to discriminate hyperactive from nonhyperactive students. Implications for diagnosis and the need for continued studies are reviewed.

Right Hemisphere Dysfunction in Subjects With Attention-Deficit Disorder With and Without Hyperactivity

“…15,16 If the mechanism underlying motor impersistence in children with attention deficit disorder is similar to that of adults, these studies can also point to right hemisphere dysfunction in these children. 12 Motor impersistence, or the inability to sustain simple acts such as fixing one's gaze or keeping one's mouth open in adults is associated with frontal lesions; and this phenomenon is related to mechanisms of directed attention that are necessary to maintain motor activity.…”

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“…Literature was reviewed in the medical (Crook & Stevens, 1987, Silver, 1984, psychological (Hunsucker, 1988;Ingersoll, 1988;Prior, Sanson, Freethy, & Geffen, 1985), psychiatric (Rutter, 1989;Wender, 1987), and educational (Cruickshank, 1985;Martin 8c Martin, 1984;Schworm & Birnbaum, 1989) disciplines.…”

“…Such characteristics as "loses materials" (APA, 1987;Hunsucker, 1988;Ingersoll, 1988), "is disorganized" (APA, 1980;Bacon, 1982;Crook & Stevens, 1987;Hunsucker, 1988;Jordan, 1988;Scott, 1987), "excessive talking" (APA, 1987;Hunsucker, 1988;Ingersoll, 1988;Schworm &Birnbaum, 1989), and "stubbornness" (Ingersoll, 1988; 1974 1980 1981 1982 1981 1982 1982 1983 1983 1983 1983 1983 1983 1984 1984 1986 1984 1984 1985 1985 1985 1985 1985 1984 1986 1986 1987 1987 1987 1987 1987 1987 1988 1988 1988 1988 1989 1989 1989 at FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIV on June 22, 2015 sed.sagepub.com Downloaded from Wender, 1987) are relative terms. Their significance varies with the observer's perception and value system and with the degree to which the characteristic is manifested.…”

“…Hunsucker (1988) cited "normal intelligence" (p. 11) as an ADD characteristic, whereas Rutter (1989) described this population as having a "below average mean IQ" (p. 7). Finally, four sources (APA, 1987;Hunsucker, 1988;Ingersoll, 1988;Schworm 8c Birnbaum, 1989) cited "excessive talking" as an identifying characteristic; however, Hunsucker (1988) argued that children with ADD can also be characterized by "meekness" and the "inability to speak out. "…”

“…With Martin and Martin's causative factors removed from the list, however, there are still 29 causes remaining, 13 of which are suggested by only one source. Of these 13, no more than four can be attributed to the same source (Schworm & Birnbaum, 1989). A total of six other sources have contributed to the list of characteristics that are supported by only one author.…”