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Biomedical subjects

L Jerome

Publications and source records attributed to L Jerome.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

A comparison of American and Canadian teachers' knowledge and attitudes towards Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

The purpose of this study was to compare and contrast American and Canadian teachers' knowledge and attitudes regarding ADHD. Both samples completed a self report questionnaire. The first part determined the demographic background of the teachers. The second section consisted of 20 true/false questions concerning ADHD intended to assess teachers' general knowledge of the essential concepts involved in the diagnosis and treatment of the disorder. The results indicated that both samples had little in-service training regarding ADHD. Despite this, most teachers regarded ADHD as a valid diagnosis with educational implications and wanted more formal training. While most teachers did well on knowledge-based questions regarding the etiology and educational implications of the condition, many still perceived non-medical therapies such as diets as being effective. Many regarded the condition as being outgrown at adolescence. Significantly, only 14% of the teachers had been involved in the diagnosis and ongoing monitoring of mediation by outside professionals. The implications of improved in-service training for all professionals involved with children with ADHD are discussed.

Adolescent

A comparison of the demography, clinical profile and treatment of adopted and non adopted children at a children's mental health centre.

A retrospective analysis of adopted and non adopted children attending a children's mental health centre between 1959 and 1973 indicated a higher than expected number of males and a significantly higher number of professional fathers than expected in the adopted group. A sub-group of adopted children identified as having learning problems by reports of the parents and teachers had a different pattern of test scores on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children from a non adopted group, who were also selected for learning difficulties. On the parent's and clinician's ratings, the adopted group had more parent-identified hyperactivity symptoms and clinicians' diagnoses of hyperactivity. Treatment data indicated that they used more stimulant medication; this was particularly significant for the early adoptees. The early adoptees were considered to be more hyperactive by their parents than the late adoptees. The late adoptees were more impaired on psychometric testing than those placed early, before six months of age. These findings are discussed in relation to possible explanations for the higher than expected prevalence of adoptees seen in clinical populations.

Adaptation, Psychological