Managing ADHD: Issues in developing multidisciplinary guidelines

Abstract

This paper arose from a call for submissions by a working party of the British Psychological Society charged with the task of drawing up guidelines for the multidisciplinary management of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. We begin by considering the notion of ADHD as an ‘evolving concept.’ Multimodal interventions are generally recommended, and this necessitates multidisciplinary practice; however, such collaboration may be difficult because of differing beliefs about ADHD amongst the parties concerned. Some recent Australian documents on ADHD management are discussed, drawing out some issues relevant for multidisciplinary collaboration. These include the primacy of the medical model and the notion of functionality as contrasted with a dysfunctional view of problematic behaviours.