The objective of this paper is to examine the impact of ADHD on the functioning of families. A review of recent research indicated that the persistence of symptoms into adulthood and the high rate of comorbidity with behaviour, psychiatric and mood disorders, are major additional stressors for families. Although the clinical presentation, developmental manifestations and patterns of comorbidity have been refined, it is emphasised that effective management of this disorder requires access to interventions which are both multilevel and multimodal. A model of a multilevel system of intervention that can be tailored to the individual family's needs at different stages of development is presented.
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