ABSTRACT
In most cases, children with ADHD experience problems in their relationships with their peers, largely because they have difficulty following rules and managing their emotions, and they can be impulsive and inattentive. Children with ADHD are usually rejected in group settings, but interventions to promote peer cooperation under adult supervision can help them to be accepted by other children. Positive experiences with peers can help children with ADHD to learn what type of behaviour is appropriate in their dealings with others, enabling them to develop better and to suffer fewer long-term negative consequences. In this chapter, we discuss ways in which parents and teachers can influence children’s social preferences. If parents and teachers themselves accept children with behavioural problems, they attenuate the strong correlation between such children’s behaviour and their status among their peers. We provide some suggestions for parents, and indirectly for teachers, on how to influence the peers of children with ADHD to help them change their opinion about their classmates with the disorder.
