The impact of a cognitive behavioral self-control program on behaviors of children diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

Abstract

Medication and psychotherapy have been used traditionally to treat the symptoms of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The purpose of this research was to evaluate the use of a cognitive behavioural self-control program, Orlick's (1998) Positive-Living Skills (PLS) program on three male children ages 8 to 9-years-old with ADHD. The PLS program teaches children skills including relaxation, focus and distraction control. A multiple case study method was administered to determine (a) whether the participants enjoyed the PLS programs; (b) the extent to which the skills were implemented by the children on a daily basis; and (c) the effectiveness of the skills in facilitating self-control behaviour management by the participants. Results indicated that the participants learned relaxation, focus and distraction control skills to manage ADHD behaviours. Two of the three participants were able to generalize the skills to daily life, and the third participant found the skills worked for him, but that he sometimes had difficulty applying the skills independently.