Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Ken Wilson’s Case
Adapted from Case Studies in Abnormal Psychology 9th ed., by Oltmanns, Martin, Neale & Davidson, 2012.
Case History:
Ken Wilson is a 7-year-old, first-grader who has been referred by his mother to a child psychology clinic. She explained that Ken was having trouble at school, both academically and socially.
Ken’s parents had been married for 12 years. His father was a business manager, and his mother, a homemaker. Ken was the middle of three children; his older sister was 9, and his younger brother was 4. Neither sibling was having any apparent problems. Mrs. Wilson had a full-term pregnancy with Ken. The delivery was without complication, although labor was fairly long. According to his parents, Ken’s current problems began in kindergarten. His teacher frequently sent notes home about his disciplinary problems in the classroom. In fact, there had been concerns about promoting Ken to the first grade. The final result was a “trial promotion.” Everyone hoped that Ken would mature and do much better in first grade, but his behavior became even more disruptive. Ken’s mother had received negative reports about him from his teacher several times over the first 2 months of school. His teacher reported that he didn’t complete his work, was disruptive to the class, and behaved aggressively.
Ken’s parents described him as a difficult infant, much more so than his older sister. He cried frequently and was described as a colicky baby by their pediatrician. He did not eat well, and his sleep was often disturbed and restless. As Ken grew, his mother reported even more difficulties with him. He was into everything. Verbal reprimands, which had been effective in controlling his sister’s behavior, seemed to have no effect on him. When either parent tried to stop him from doing something dangerous, such as playing with an expensive vase or turning the stove off and on, he would often have a temper tantrum that included throwing things,
Adapted from Case Studies in Abnormal Psychology 9th ed., by Oltmanns, Martin, Neale & Davidson, 2012.
Case History:
Ken Wilson is a 7-year-old, first-grader who has been referred by his mother to a child psychology clinic. She explained that Ken was having trouble at school, both academically and socially.
Ken’s parents had been married for 12 years. His father was a business manager, and his mother, a homemaker. Ken was the middle of three children; his older sister was 9, and his younger brother was 4. Neither sibling was having any apparent problems. Mrs. Wilson had a full-term pregnancy with Ken. The delivery was without complication, although labor was fairly long. According to his parents, Ken’s current problems began in kindergarten. His teacher frequently sent notes home about his disciplinary problems in the classroom. In fact, there had been concerns about promoting Ken to the first grade. The final result was a “trial promotion.” Everyone hoped that Ken would mature and do much better in first grade, but his behavior became even more disruptive. Ken’s mother had received negative reports about him from his teacher several times over the first 2 months of school. His teacher reported that he didn’t complete his work, was disruptive to the class, and behaved aggressively.
Ken’s parents described him as a difficult infant, much more so than his older sister. He cried frequently and was described as a colicky baby by their pediatrician. He did not eat well, and his sleep was often disturbed and restless. As Ken grew, his mother reported even more difficulties with him. He was into everything. Verbal reprimands, which had been effective in controlling his sister’s behavior, seemed to have no effect on him. When either parent tried to stop him from doing something dangerous, such as playing with an expensive vase or turning the stove off and on, he would often have a temper tantrum that included throwing things,