A preliminary analysis of interactive effects between common classroom contingencies and methylphenidate.

Northup, J., Jones, K., Broussard, C., DiGiovanni, G., Herring, M., Fusilier, I., & Hanchey, A. (1997). A preliminary analysis of interactive effects between common classroom contingencies and methylphenidate. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 30, 121-125.

To assess the drug—behavior interaction effects with an 8-year-old boy with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, common classroom antecedent (e.g., seating arrangement) and consequent (e.g., peer prompts) stimuli were alternated within a school day while drug conditions (methylphenidate vs. placebo) were alternated across days. The results suggested that peer attention maintained disruptive behavior when methylphenidate was absent but not when it was present.

DESCRIPTORS: functional analysis, methylphenidate, ADHD, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, classroom behavior