Child Psychology and Psychiatry

EXTERNALIZING DISORDERS
Attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD)
Systemic interventions for ADHD comprising
sessions with families, school staff and young
people, are best offered as elements of multimodal
programmes involving stimulant medication [3],
with systemic interventions playing an increasingly
important role in the longer term [4]. Family
therapy for ADHD focuses on helping families
to develop patterns of organization conducive
to effective child management: a high level of
parental
cooperation;
clear
intergenerational
boundaries; warm, supportive family relation-
ships; clear communication and clear, moderately
flexible rules, roles and routines [5].