The influence of a token economy and methylphenidate on attentive and disruptive behavior during sports with ADHD-diagnosed children

Three children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADH D) participated in a summer program designed to evaluate the influence of s timulant medication and a token economy on attentive and disruptive behavio r during kickball games. Attentive and disruptive behavior were assessed us ing an interval coding system, and daily ratings on the ADHD Index of the C onners Teacher Rating Scale-Revised were also obtained. A multielement reve rsal design was used, and the results indicated that both interventions ind ependently improved attentive behavior and decreased disruptive behavior fo r the participants. Contrary to other research, when the token economy and medication were compared in isolation, the token system appeared more effec tive in reducing disruptive behavior for 2 of the 3 participants. In additi on, the token system generally enhanced the effects of stimulant medication .