Understanding Attention Hyperactivity Disorder

After many hours hunched over her psychology books, Megan Kinal is finally getting the opportunity to apply her learned knowledge to real-life scenarios.

Kinal, who recently completed her undergraduate degree in social sciences, has spent her summer researching school-based mental health assessments for elementary school students.  A participant in the Undergraduate Student Research Program (USRP), an initiative aimed at providing students who excel in subjects related to health and wellness an opportunity to receive a grant for a summer research position under the watch of a mentor, Kinal is grateful to have the chance to conduct her own research.

“I am really interested in child development because it determines who we become later on,” says Kinal.  

Kinal’s research analysis centres around a Strength-Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), which is filled out by parents and teachers of children whom they believe may have a disorder such as Attention Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).  The questionnaire filled out by the teacher is compared to the parent or guardian’s in order to determine if there is high or low agreement, or consensus on the child’s current mental state.

The part of the job Kinal enjoys the most is being able to discuss the complex concepts and ideas in her field of study, conversation you wouldn’t normally hear being discussed at the dinner table.

“I love the opportunity to engage in research banter and argue different ideas because it pushes you to think at a higher level,” says Kinal. “Eventually I want to be a professor because I really enjoy educating people and engaging in research.”

Kinal will certainly be able to use that higher thinking as her career progresses.  She will begin a masters program looking at pre-adolescent children in the fall and from there she would like to continue progressing in the academic community.