What is ADHD?
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder, dis/ability, and/or neurotype that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) defines as "a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development" (DSM-V, pg. 59-60). Inattention can be characterized "not being able to keep focus," while hyperactivity-impulsivity usually manifests as "excess movement that is not fitting to the setting ... and hasty acts that occur in the moment without thought” (American Psychiatric Association 2017). People diagnosed with or who study ADHD have also cited sensory-seeking behaviors, social-emotional dysfunction, and low self-esteem as symptoms or implications of ADHD (San Diego ADHD Center for Success, Shaw et. al. 2014, CHADD).
ADHD is multidimensional, meaning that difficulty with and variations in attention and self-control manifest in a variety of ways, depending on the individual (e.g., their gender, race, class, and comorbid diagnoses). All Kinds of Minds describes attention as "a system of controls that can help students with such things as working consistently each day, focusing on the right details when reading, and thinking ahead about what to say." If attention is an area of concern for a student, they may also struggle to modulate their actions and subsequently struggle socially; they may be inattentive to body language or social cues, get frustrated or upset in class, or blurt out ideas without thinking through potential (social) consequences (University of Michigan Medicine). Communal perceptions of these students typically grow increasingly negative as they exhibit more ADHD symptoms; children of all genders with ADHD may acquire labels of "spacey," "careless," "overly sensitive," "awkward," etc. They may be written off as explosive personalities, copious criers, or restless fidgeters.
Much recent research focuses on how ADHD affects children academically (e.g., executive functioning), but far fewer studies go in-depth about how ADHD might affect a child's social experiences in school, particularly with regards to behavior, self-regulation, and perception. Fewer still attempt to regard ADHD through an asset-focused, anti-ableist lens, or through a lens that does not fault the child, family, or cultural setting with causing issues in attention or impulsivity. Students with ADHD can be incredibly vibrant, insightful, and creative individuals -- despite the challenges they face -- and their unique personalities and identities deserve to be valued by other members of the school community.
In terms of social interaction in particular, the organization Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) states that “individuals with ADHD exhibit behavior that is often seen as impulsive, disorganized, aggressive, overly sensitive, intense, emotional, or disruptive. Their social interactions with others in their social environment … are often filled with misunderstanding and mis-communication." CHADD continues to note that "those with ADHD have a decreased ability to self-regulate their actions and reactions toward others. This can cause relationships to be overly tense and fragile."
As someone diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 8 and who has a handful of friends with the diagnosis as well, I can attest that there are several facets of the social-emotional experience of someone with ADHD that I've had to consult resources outside of academia to learn about. While the DSM-V and IDEA have made accessible (to physicians and psychiatrists, mostly) diagnostic information that enable children with ADHD to get a concrete diagnosis and accommodations in school, common experiences among children diagnosed with ADHD are often more complex than the criteria make them out to be. Combining research studies, personal accounts, and other useful resources pertaining to stigma and friendship development, this handbook -- created by someone with ADHD -- hopes to present an anti-ableist framework for 1.) understanding the social world of K-8 students with ADHD and 2.) implementing interventions in schools that address the systemic issues that contribute to the social-emotional difficulties of children with ADHD.
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