ABSTRACT
Problems in school are often associated with negative or off-task behaviours. Those with learning difficulties also have higher than expected levels of problems with attentional, emotional and social interactions. In addition, there appears to be a relatively high level of comorbidity between learning difficulties and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and other behaviour-related diagnoses, such as Emotional-Behavioural Disorder (EBD). ADHD is characterised by problems related to inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. Problems associated with EBD can be found in fairly sizeable groups of children within a school-age population. Despite the potentially long-term negative effects of ADHD and EBD, there is evidence that many of the behavioural, emotional and social problems presented can be overcome or reduced by appropriate teaching and intervention strategies. Although teaching methods and learning environments are an important component of supporting students with behavioural difficulties that are impacting on education, the type of interventions most often associated with diagnosed conditions such as ADHD are those involving medication.
