Occupational Therapy for Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Part 1: A Delineation Model of Practice

An occupational therapy delineation model of practice is presented, which guides a multidimensional understanding of the psychopathology of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and its management. Previous research has established that occupational therapists lack detailed training or theory in this field. The delineation model of practice is based on a literature review, clinical experience and a consensus study carried out with occupational therapists to determine their priorities for the evaluation of, and intervention with, children with ADHD.

Part 1 of this article presents the model and examines its implications for evaluation and intervention at the levels of child, task and environment. A family-centred assessment and treatment package, based on the delineation model, is described. Part 2 of this article will report the results of a multicentre study, which was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of this package.