The Social Functioning Of Children With ADD With Hyperactivity And ADD Without Hyperactivity

Abstract

Among the anticipated changes in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders draft for the 4th edition (DSM-IV) (American Psychiatric Association, 1993) is a revision of the Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) category, including a reintroduction of the concept of the DSM-III Attention-deficit Disorder Without Hyperactivity (ADD/WO) designation. This change will refocus clinicians' attention to evaluating the similarities and differences between ADHD subtypes, particularly as they affect assessment and treatment issues. Because of the importance of peer relations to children's functioning and because prior research has suggested that children with Attention-deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity (ADD/H) and children with ADD/WO differ in their social behaviors, the nature of the social deficits displayed by the ADHD subtypes warrants particular attention. The purposes of this article are to critically evaluate the groups' differences in social functioning within a model of social skills (Gresham, 1988) and to suggest directions for future research and intervention that might be applicable to the two ADHD groups.