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medical problems such as chronic undiagnosed infections (Mira & Reece, 1977),
mother/child interaction (Bettelheim, 1973),
and direct or observational learning (Ross
& Ross, 1976, pp. 78-81).
Hyperactivity is no longer viewed as a
brain damage syndrome but as a complex
spectrum of behavior with both medical
and behavioral involvement (Ross & Ross,
1976, pp. 19-22).
Transactional analysis offers a new
frame of reference for understanding and
treating hyperactivity and provides insight
into why there are so many etiologies, none
of which are comprehensive. *
In their article "Passivity," Schiff and
Schiff (1971) identified that an individual
whose problem is consistently discounted
will eventually stop being active about
solving the problem and engage in passive
behavior in an effort to transfer the problem to the environment in hopes that the
discomfort experienced there will result in
someone else doing something about the
problem.
When observed in a variety of settings
the hyperactive child will exhibit all of the
passive behaviors.
Doing Nothing: The child stares into
space and exerts no energy for the task at
hand.
Overadaptation: The child trys to do
what he has been told without comprehending the meaning of what he is to do.
Agitation: The child exhibits continual
motion and restless fidgets.
Incapacitation/Violence: Temper tantrums and destructive, aggressive behavior.
Agitation and incapacitation/violence
are the passive behaviors most likely to be
defined by family and school as a problem
"Thanks to Carol Anne Reece, M.D., who has worked closely with the author in the theoretical development of
this material.
60
How does the current family system supports the passive behavior? This requires
assessment of time structure, stroking,
transactional and scripting patterns (See
Edwards, 1975, for material to use in a
family assessment).
As learning difficulties begin with discounting at an early stage of development
a comprehensive educational evaluation is
also important. Specific cognitive (AI and
Ai> difficulties also need to be identified.
Stage Two: Solving the Problem
After identification, treatment needs to
be initiated to resolve each problem along
with the accompanying social and emotional issues.
If a medical problem has been identified,
it must be treated. If a learning problem
has been identified, educational programs
need to be developed and initiated to
remediate them. If developmental needs
have gone unmet, the environment and
social system must be changed through
family therapy and parent education. The
social and emotional issues arising at home
and at school and the passive problemsolving stance will also need to be addressed.
This will involve working with the family
system to change the time structure, stroking, transactional and script patterns that
have supported the discounting and nonproblem-sovling behavior.
The most common issues include: Preference for negative rather than positive
strokes; time and space structure; limits;
permissions to feel; expectation and demand
to think and solve problems; forcing the
issue of asking; Adult reasons and "how
to's" for behavior; cause and effect; incorporation of Parent (P I for 3-6 and older,
P 2 for 6-12 years and older).
Case History
Toni, a ten year old boy, had been diagnosed as hyperactive when he was four
years old. The problem identification stage
revealed that Toni had many previously
undiagnosed allergies. His mother had
over-protected him from birth. Wanting to
be the "perfect" mother, she had anticipated his every need and by the time he was
two years old she was "overwhelmed" by
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