Background: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is defined as a cognitive or behavioural developmental disorder. Inattentiveness, overactivity and impulsivity are regarded as the main clinical symptoms of ADHD. These symptoms may occur together or separately resulting in three recognised presentations: predominantly inattentive, predominantly hyperactive–impulsive and combined presentations. Aim: This study investigated deficiencies in behavioural planning in South African primary school children with and without ADHD. Setting: Tzaneen area in Limpopo province, South Africa. Methods: A total of 156 children (78 with ADHD and 78 matched controls without ADHD) of both genders, who were medication naïve and aged 6–15 years, participated in the study. The performance of the two groups was compared on a test of planning and problem-solving, the Tower of London (ToL) task. The results were analysed as a function of gender, age and ADHD presentation. Results: Children with ADHD especially ADHD-PI and ADHD-C used significantly more moves and took a longer time to complete the task than the controls (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in the number of moves and time taken by the predominantly hyperactive-impulsive presentations of ADHD when compared to the controls. Gender and age did not influence the performance. Conclusion: The results showed that children with ADHD showed significantly more deficits mainly the ADHD-PI and ADHD-C presentations, which indicates that inattention is mainly responsible for deficiencies in behaviour planning. The ADHD-HI presentations and the control group were not affected. Keywords: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; behavioural planning; developmental disorder; primary school children; hyperactive.

Tshikani Theodore Nkanyani-Boshomane, born in Tiyani Village under the Nkanyani Traditional Council, is a princess of the Nkanyani Royal Family. She is the sixth of nine children and has dedicated her life to advancing clinical psychology and mental health care in South Africa.She began her education at Vungela Primary School (1984-1990) and continued to Akani High School in Tiyani Village (1991-1995). She pursued her Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of North from 1997 to 1999, followed by a B.A. Honours in Psychology at the University of Limpopo in 2000. In 2003, she completed her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology and subsequently undertook her internship at the Polokwane/Mankweng Tertiary Hospital Complex in 2004. Her career in clinical psychology began in earnest in May 2006 when she began her community service at Dr. C.N. Phatudi Hospital. A year later, she became a permanent Clinical Psychologist there and rose to the position of Head of the Clinical Psychology Section. In this role, she supervises registered counselors, psychometrists, and clinical psychologists, playing a key role in mental health care provision and mentorship. In 2022, she earned her PhD in Behavioural Medicine from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). Her dissertation, titled "Testing Deficiencies in Behavioural Planning, Set-Shifting, and Working Memory in Children with High Levels of ADHD", has made significant contributions to the field, with her findings published in three national journals—the South African Journal of Psychiatry, the African Journal of Psychological Assessment, and the Journal of African Psychology—as well as an international publication in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health. She work reflects her commitment to clinical excellence and her passion for improving mental health outcomes, especially among children and adolescents with ADHD. Her leadership and scholarly contributions have solidified her reputation as a respected figure in clinical psychology and behavioural medicine.