Hyperkinesis and Organicity in Children

The theoretical background and therapeutic philosophy23of the clinician bias his diagnostic approach, and therefore we find that in many “syndromes,” such as acting out,62.69hyperkinetic impulse disorder,47,48conduct disorder,33primary behavior disorder,37,79problems of overt behavior,15unsocialized aggressive behavior,49aggressive behavior disorder of childhood, character impulse disorder,25and in children with organic brain disease,4,6,7although the emphasis may be put on one or another particular area of behavior, the descriptive details of each syndrome almost fit any one child. We became interested in what symptoms characterized the actingout child. We wished to clarify the diagnosis. In a previous study,44we presented a syndromic approach to the acting-out child, and we suggested that a symptomatology to be considered would consist of classroom disturbance, poor peer relationship, intellectual performance below the expected level,