1. Child Psychopathology Learning Disorders and Peers Attention Disorders Diagnostic Criteria for ADHD Assessment and theories Reading: Chapter 5

2. Learning Disorders and Peer Relations Danielle Gervais

3. How do learning disorders effect peer relations? The term “children with learning disorders” refers broadly to children who are not performing at age expected academic level. It is estimated that 75% of children with learning disorders have some kind of social deficit. Children often experience rejection and are victimized by peers. This can lead to loneliness and possibly depression. Peer relations are vital to a child’s development

4. Social Deficits Reduced social and communicative competence Fewer initiated social interactions Less cooperative Less tactful in social situations Less developed concept of conflict

5. Social Deficits Adjustment difficulties Immaturities Difficulty distinguishing subtle cues Difficulty processing facial expressions and other social information

6. If children with learning disorders are rejected by peers then they do not get the opportunity to practice social interactions. Friendships give these children a medium to learn skills and develop

7. Bullying and Rejection bullying can be direct (name calling) or indirect (gossiping) bullying may increase the child’s experience of emotional and social problems isolation only limits their opportunities to learn and practice skills

8. Bullying and Rejection Approximately 30% of children with learning disorders are rejected by peers in comparison to 8- 16% of normal achieving children Learning disorders are often associated as a deficit of the individual and they are seen as abnormal which will reduce social acceptance. Children are often left vulnerable due to their complete lack of social networks and are also at risk for being victims of bullying and violence

9. Types of Peer Relationships More negative nominations than normal achieving peers Peer relationships are less stable More relationships with younger peers More friends who also have learning disorders Boys with learning disorders are more likely to have friends outside of school

10. Implications Children are at a much greater risk for experiencing loneliness and possibly depression and anxiety Children with learning disorders have a lower sense of coherence and a lower self esteem than their peers At least one friend is an important provider of social support and learning and reduces loneliness

11. Attention Deficit Disorders

13. Additional criteria for ADHD Excessive, longterm, pervasive behaviors Significant problems in multiple settings Rule out other accounts of behavior Onset before age 7 and go on for 6 months Age inappropriate and persistant DSM-IV describes predominantly inattentive (ADHD-PI), hyperactive/ impulsive (ADHD-HI), and combined types

14. Associated Characteristics Deficits in metacognition and executive function Difficulty applying intelligence and social skills to everyday situations Comorbid (~50%) learning disabilities Health problems (allergies, ears, sleep) Accident prone, clumsy, risky behaviors Interpersonal problems with family, teachers. peers Can lead to ODD, CD, anxiety, depression, Tourettes

15. Assessment of attentional problems Behavioral ratings –Multiple reporters and contexts (e.g., parents, teachers) –Hyperactivity, inattention, impulsivity Behavioral observations –In vivo (home, school) and in offic; What is “off task”; How do we compare to others? –Recording devices (e.g., “wiggleometer”) Specific tasks –Matching familiar figures –Continuous Performance Task (CPT) Medical, family, school histories

16. The CPT: Measures of sustained attention and vigilence AACZAAAZAAAABZAAAZABZAAAZ O O O C C C A sequence of letters flash on a computer screen. Press the key when a “Z” follows an A, and at no other time. Scores: Omissions (O), Commissions (C) Correct response: X X X

17. Prevalence 3-5% of school children more common in boys than girls more common in low SES groups found in all cultures 25 to 50% “grow out” of the problems or learn to cope with the symptoms school environment crucial: what are the attentional demands? How much structure?

18. What does not cause ADHD Old misconceptions about the causes of ADHD include - artificial flavoring and food additives - sugar and caffeine - “bad parenting” - food allergies - fluorescent lighting - misalignment of the spine These theories were easily accepted by society, although there was little scientific evidence to back them up.

19. ADHD may be related to underarousal The brain with ADHD has much less activity (red/orange/white) than the brain without ADHD. It shows that people with ADHD do not have enough activity in their brain to focus on what they are doing or control their thoughts

20. Theories of ADHD Deficits in arousal; underarousal, therefore hyperactivity for self stimulation Motivation deficits; low sensitivity to rewards and punishments Deficits in self regulation, metacognition; thus poor maintenance of effort Deficits in behavioral inhibition Deficits in temporal processing and awareness; “do this for 10 minutes”

21. Medication as a Treatment Erica Stowbridge