ADHD and the Nature of Self-Control
Russell A. Barkley
This far-reaching work from renowned scientist-practitioner Russell A.
Barkley provides a radical shift of perspective on ADHD, arguing that the
disorder is fundamentally a developmental problem of self-control, and that
a deficit in attention is a secondary, and not universal, characteristic.
The volume synthesizes neuropsychological research and theory on the
executive functions, illuminating how normally functioning individuals are
able to bring behavior under the control of time and orient their actions
toward the future. Meticulously applying this model to an examination of the
cognitive and social impairments manifested by ADHD, Barkley offers
compelling new directions for thinking about and treating this disorder.
The book reviews the diagnostic criteria of ADHD, identifying the
inadequacies of current conceptualizations, and presents a range of new and
testable hypotheses about the nature of the disorder. Shifting the focus of
ADHD theory building away from inattention per se, Barkley delves into the
vital construct of behavioral inhibition. Chapters draw upon extensive
neuropsychological research to show how the ability to delay one's response
to external stimuli permits the development of the executive functions
involved in self-control. Providing a new level of insight into the
day-to-day adaptive functioning problems of affected children and adults,
the book demonstrates how ADHD disrupts the developmental process by which
behavior becomes internalized, resulting in an inability to regulate and
direct behavior toward the future.