Abstract

The present study examined the short-term effects of the stimulant medication, methylphenidate, on the cognitive and the behavioral symptoms and the emotional, social, and academic adjustment of the Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder(ADHD) children. Fifteen ADHD elementary school boys were treated with methylphenidate for one and a half month, and the secondary symptoms, social skill, learning, and self-concept, as well as the primary symptoms, attention and behavior, were rated before and after the treatment. This study identified the factors that might predict favorable responses to the treatment, and found how the change of primary symptoms are related to that of the secondary symptoms. The Continuous Performance Task, the Abreviated Conners Rating Scale, the Child Behavior Checklist, a self-concept questionnaire, a Social Skills questionnaire, and the Academic Performance Rating Scale as well as percentile rank in class were examined. The short-term medication treatment resulted in clear improvement in the primary symptoms : the attentional problem, the hyperactive behavioral problems. However, in aspects of social adjustment, the self-concept, the percentile rank in class and the approptiate social skills were not significantly improved, while the academic behaviors attitudes, and the inappropriate social behaviors were improved. In addition, the children with higher self-concept, milder behavioral symptoms and the lower grades showed more favorable responses to the stimulant treatment. Therefore, the result implies that the secondary emotional, social and academic difficulties do not easily improve by the short-term medication treatment, even though the primary cognitive and behavioral symptoms of the ADHD can be reduced.