ADHD children may have social skill deficits in at least three main areas: social communication, poor emotional regulation, and social-cognitive biases. They also have cognitive difficulties which have implications for their learning. Based on a review of the literature, it is argued that maladaptive classroom peer interactions for ADHD children may disadvantage their learning on collaborative tasks. Although the literature is sparse in the area of peer interactions and collaborative learning for ADHD children, some suggestions for practice and future research are suggested. 0 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Increasing numbers of children are being identified as having Attention-Deficiwyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Much of the ADHD research literature focuses on etiology, diagnosis, and treatment. Although a number of authors have reported studies in which intervention strategies have been tested with ADHD children within the classroom setting (see Dupaul, 1991;Fiore, Becker & Nero, 1993;Gadow, 1985), very little attention has been paid to the ADHD child's collaborative learning on classroom tasks. This article reviews the literature on ADHD children's peer interactions and collaborative learning. Following a definition of the disorder, a discussion of the key aspects of the disorder, the effects on peer interactions and collaborative learning will be presented. This article concludes with recommendations for teachers relating to how ADHD children's peer interactions on collaborative learning tasks may disadvantage the ADHD children's learning. Suggestions for remediation and future research are made.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV) defines the essential features of ADHD as "a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that is more frequent and severe than is typically observed in individuals at a comparable level of development" (American Psychiatric Association, 1994, p. 78). The ADHD disorder is much more frequent in males than in females with male to female ratios ranging from 4: 1 to 9: 1, depending on the setting (American Psychiatric Association, 1994).
Core features of the disorder include impulsivity, for instance ADHD children's difficulty awaiting their turn; hyperactivity, for instance talking excessively in class; and difficulties with sustained attention, for instance, not listening to class instructions (American Psychiatric Association 1994;Weiss, 1991). These core difficulties lead ADHD children to get into trouble at home, at school, and with their peers. They have difficulties completing a task and, in spite of generally average intelligence, are unsuccessful at school and have poor self-esteem (Weiss, 1991).
The majority of ADHD teenagers continue to experience difficulties in a variety of settings. Common scenarios include difficulties in accepting responsibilities and following rules, family conflicts, low self-esteem, poor peer relations, low school achievement, and failure to complete high school (Weiss, 1991). Adult outcome studies have shown that at least 60% of ADHD children in adulthood continue to display the same symptoms. There appears to be a link between ADHD and adult disorders, for instance, antisocial personality, substance abuse,