Atypical Attention: Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Chapter 8 focuses exclusively on ADHD, a complex disorder with a broad spectrum of involvement. It is also one of the most widely researched of neurodevelopmental disorders; yet pinpointing its causal mechanisms and attention pathways has not proved as straightforward as at first it appears. Core issues of concern centre on the disorders heterogeneity, the presence of co-morbid disorders (e.g. anxiety, learning disabilities, conduct disorder), and cognitive variability across development. Recent findings clearly support the hypothesis that ADHD should be viewed as a continuum of impairment rather than a discrete clinical disorder. The chapter concludes that weakness in EF processes, particularly planning, inhibition and maintenance of focus, are the key to ADHD, but notes that no convincing explanation is apparent for the frequent co-occurrence of inattentive and hyperactive behaviors.