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Sons and daughters beyond your control: episodes in the prehistory of the attention deficit/hyperactivity syndrome

  • Review Article
  • Published:
ADHD Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders

Abstract

Hyperactive and inattentive children have been discussed in both the pedagogic and medical literature since the nineteenth century, and many controversies associated with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been repeatedly analyzed in different contexts. The ‘prehistory’ of the ADHD concept—that is, up to the definition of ADHD in DSM-III and of the corresponding ‘hyperkinetic disorder’ in ICD-9—is outlined, with an emphasis on the literature not previously discussed in English language reviews of the subject.

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  1. Unit for History and Philosophy of Science, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia

    Paul Bernard Foley

  2. Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick (Sydney), NSW 2031, Australia

    Paul Bernard Foley

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Foley, P.B. Sons and daughters beyond your control: episodes in the prehistory of the attention deficit/hyperactivity syndrome. ADHD Atten Def Hyp Disord 6, 125–151 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12402-014-0137-y

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