Using Response-Based Therapy in the Service of Those Labelled with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Abstract

The etiology of behaviours currently labelled as child Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) was analyzed. The author presented two widely held views of the behaviours: the neurobiological approach and models which primarily take a non-medical approach to ADHD. These models were then contrasted against a relatively new view of counselling which is primarily employed in the service of those who have been victims of violence. This is known as Response-Based Therapy. In this approach, human actions are viewed as responses and thus it is considered important to elicit contextual details in order to understand what clients are responding to. Applying this thinking to ADHD raises the possibility that the composite behaviours labelled as ADHD may in fact be understandable responses of children. The author then looks at some possible social implications for this kind of change in view.