Research summary
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects some 400,000 children and adolescents in Canada. Many young people with ADHD have trouble making and keeping friends because of difficulties in areas like emotional regulation, impulsivity and reading social cues. Research has tended to focus on identifying and fixing what children with ADHD are “doing wrong” to cause this social exclusion. But Dr. Amori Mikami, Canada Research Chair in Clinical Child Psychology, is looking at the issue from the other side—exploring what might help peer groups to be more welcoming toward children with ADHD.
She and her research team are identifying steps that parents and teachers can take to encourage peers to be more socially inclusive, reduce social hierarchies, and break down stigma about ADHD. They are also examining the peer interactions and social relationships of adolescents with ADHD in the digital world. Mikami’s goal is to develop innovative interventions that create more inclusive spaces for all children who are considered “different,” including those with ADHD.