ArticleSelf-Perception in Children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Section snippets
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to describe the self-perceptions of children aged 8–12 years who have been diagnosed with ADHD compared with those of children of the same age from the general population in the following domains: (a) scholastic competence; (b) social acceptance; (c) athletic competence; (d) physical appearance; (e) behavioral conduct; and (f) global self-worth.
Literature Review
Barkley (1998) determined that there are four main skill deficits experienced by children with ADHD. These include (a) social entry, (b) conversational skills, (c) conflict resolution/problem solving, and (d) anger control. Because skills such as sitting still, listening, obeying, cooperating, sharing, following directions, and completing assignments are such an integral part of being successful in school and because these skills are those least perfected by children with ADHD, these children
Design and Sample
This research used a nonexperimental design to compare two independent sample groups in their responses to a self-perception questionnaire. Convenience sampling was used to recruit one group (n = 38; Group 1) consisting of school-aged children (ages, 8–12 years) diagnosed with ADHD by a licensed medical doctor or psychologist according to the DSM-IV criteria (American Psychiatric Association, 2000) and a second group (n = 39; Group 2) consisting of children in the same age group with no
Results
Seventy-seven children between the ages of 8 and 12 years participated in this study. Forty-eight participants were recruited from a pediatric office (9 children with ADHD, 39 control subjects), and the remaining participants were accessed through a state-funded nonprofit health agency for the medically underserved (29 children with ADHD, no control subjects).
Discussion
These findings indicate that children with ADHD perceive themselves differently than other children their age, and it is the perception of their behavior that stands out as the most apparent difference. Questions on the behavioral conduct subscale address how children feel about their behavior, if they feel that they usually act the way they are supposed to, and whether they feel that they get into trouble for their behavior. A lower score on this subscale by children with ADHD makes sense when
Summary
Overall, the results of this study indicate that school-aged children with ADHD perceive themselves differently than those without ADHD. The behavior domain is the main area in which children with this disorder recognize the most difference from their peers. It is critical that children with this disorder be accurately identified and that interventions be aimed at instilling confidence, improving skills that are lacking, and encouraging an outlet for the acceptable expression of feelings.
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