ABSTRACT
Few disorders of childhood have received as much theoretical and empirical scrutiny in child psychiatry and psychology as that which is subsumed under the classification of attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; American Psychiatric Association, 1987). The quantity of scientific papers devoted to this disorder in the past 25 years is probably related to the fact that children displaying symptoms of ADHD represent one of the most common referral complaints to child mental health professionals in the United States (Ross & Ross, 1982). Despite the wealth of research information available, historical shifts in the conceptualization of causes of ADHD, as well as the symptoms believed to constitute the disorder, have contributed to misconceptions and diagnostic ambiguities on the part of the general public and professionals alike.
