A Cueing Procedure to Control Impulsivity in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Authors

Heidi D. Posavac, University of Rochester
Susan M. Sheridan, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Steven S. Posavac, University of Rochester

Date of this Version

April 1999

Comments

Published in Behavior Modification 23:2 (April 1999), pp. 234-253. Copyright © 1999 Sage Publications, Inc. Used by permission. DOI: 10.1177/0145445599232003 Online at: http://bmo.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/23/2/234

Abstract

This study tested the efficacy of a cueing procedure for improving the impulse regulation of four boys with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) during social skills training. Impulse regulation was defined as raising hands before speaking. Effects on collateral behaviors (i.e., talking out of turn) were also assessed. A reversal design was used. Behavioral data collected by independent observers suggested that all subjects demonstrated positive changes in impulse regulation (i.e., an increase in the frequency with which subjects raised their hand before speaking). Likewise, the treatment effects appeared to have produced positive effects on a behavior not directly targeted for intervention (i.e., talk outs). In general, behavioral changes were considered to be socially valid and the treatment agents viewed the cueing procedure very positively.