Playfulness in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Abstract

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may negatively affect children's play; thus, play and play assessment are important areas for occupational therapists' investigation. The purpose of this study was to (a) compare Test of Playfulness (ToP) (Bundy, 1997a) scores of children with and without ADHD, and (b) examine unexpected responses in the data that might suggest a different hierarchy of items when the ToP is applied to children with ADHD. There were two groups comprising 50 children (34 boys, 16 girls) ranging in age from 5 to 14 years; 25 had ADHD. The mean ToP score of children with ADHD was significantly lower than that of children without ADHD (t = −3.49; P= .001). The primary deficits characterizing ADHD also effected playfulness. The three most problematic areas were internal control, intrinsic motivation, and framing. While data from 92% of the children with ADHD conformed to the hierarchy of items established by Rasch analysis, 3 items (mischief, teasing/joking, and clowning) yielded unexpectedly high scores for a high percentage of the children suggesting that these items may be relatively easier for children with ADHD. Implications and the need for further research are discussed.