Constructivist interpretation of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

Abstract

Despite the increasing frequency of the diagnosis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, a critical review of the literature on the condition suggests difficulties with the assumptions that it can be reliably diagnosed, has neurobiological underpinnings, and is related to individual and contextual factors. These difficulties prompted us to attempt to develop a more adequate, constructivist conceptualization of the condition, which places emphasis on the role of optimal arousal modulation by the child in specific environments. Evidence supporting this model is cited, and the clinical implications of this constructivist reformulation are noted.