Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A review of the literature on social skills deficits

Abstract

Social interactions between children with Attention-DeficitIHyperactivity Disorder(AD/HD) and their teachers, peers, and parents are discussed. The extent to which these interactions may be termed problematic may depend on the social skills deficits displayed by this population. Although the general trend in the literature has been to examine and describe children with deficient social skills, changing the focus to children with AD/HD who are not experiencing these difficulties may prove beneficial. A review of the previous literature is discussed, as well as suggestions for practice and future research needs.

The Relationship Between Motor Skills, Social Problems, and ADHD Symptomatology: Does It Vary According to Parent and Teacher Report?

“…The results also support the literature regarding an important relationship between ADHD symptoms and social problems (Frederick & Olmi, 1994;Marques et al, 2013;Nijmeijer et al, 2008;Wehmeier et al, 2010). However, the present study adds to the existing research which has often overlooked the confounding effects of ADHD symptomatology and motor skills in these relationships.…”

“…This is important given the strong overlap between motor difficulties and ADHD, which has been recognized for decades and estimated to be around 50% (Fliers et al, 2008;Pitcher, Piek, & Hay, 2003). Additionally, there are numerous studies linking ADHD symptoms with problems in social functioning (Frederick & Olmi, 1994;Marques et al, 2013;Nijmeijer et al, 2008;Schlack, Mauz, Hebebrand, & Holling, 2014;Wehmeier, Schacht, & Barkley, 2010). In fact, some of the behaviors that are related to the social problems evident in children with ADHD are listed in the DSM-5 ADHD criteria, for example, "often interrupts or intrudes on others" (i.e., impulsivity), "often talks excessively" (hyperactivity), "often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly" (i.e., inattention) (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).…”

Positively Biased Self-Perceptions in Children with ADHD: Unique Predictor of Future Maladjustment

“…In support of this, executive functioning processes have been found to mediate the relationship between ADHD status and PB (McQuade et al 2011b). Thus, children with PB may have executive functioning deficits in planning and analyzing social situations, which may lead to difficulty in structuring their social environments to avoid negative feedback (e.g., continuously attempting to befriend peers who dislike them; Anderson 2002;Frederick and Olmi 1994). In addition, these deficits may hinder children's ability to learn new social skills and to utilize others' feedback to correct negative behaviors, leading to maladjustment beyond the contributions of initial impairment.…”

Development of the Friendships and Social Skills Test (FASST): A Parent Report Measure

“…Given the well-documented social difficulties experienced by children with ADHD (Frederick and Olmi 1994), Study 2 was conducted to examine the FASST in a clinical sample of children presenting with concerns regarding ADHD. The sample consisted of 159 predominately Caucasian (89.2 %) children (118 Males, 74.2 %) ranging in age from 7 to 11 (M = 8.62, SD = 1.4) presenting for an evaluation in an outpatient ADHD clinic.…”

“…Elementary school aged children were included, as middle childhood is a developmental period when disorders involving peer difficulties such as ADHD are often identified (Frederick and Olmi 1994). A parent report format was adopted because parental concerns are frequently the impetus for mental health evaluations, parents are a readily available source of information during such evaluations (Pepler and Craig 1998), and parents can provide accurate information regarding child social functioning (e.g., Aldridge et al 2012).…”