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interested in talking to them. The overactivity of the mind of a child with ADHD often veers the
child off of a topic, resulting in a struggle to maintain a successful conversation. The child
displays little interest in the thoughts and feelings of their peers, and they struggle to allow a
conversation to be two-sided. Children with ADHD also have trouble adjusting to the verbal cues
that shift styles of communication. For example, if a child is having a conversation about a
particular topic and a second peer enters the conversation, the child may have difficulty
transitioning the conversation to accommodate the increased size of the group. Peers eventually
become frustrated with the child, resulting in exclusion. This gives the child a low sense of self-
esteem and decreased desire to attempt to conversate with their peers. Over time, the buildup of
rejections and failed attempts at socializing results in the child becoming aggressive. Every
friend-making tactic that comes naturally to the child is viewed as unacceptable and abnormal,
though the child has no other means of communication. The child resorts to aggression,
disruptive behavior, and daily unhealthy social interactions as a defense mechanism. The child is
harshly corrected by teachers, and further outcast by peers. If the child is not taught the proper
coping mechanisms and appropriate ways to interactive with others, unjust disciplinary action is
often taken. Instead of being shown how to interact in a way that is pleasant and kind to others,
the child is reprimanded, only intensifying the situation (Dumas 1998).

An educator must assume the role of an interventionist when teaching children with
ADHD. Social skills are a necessary component to the success of any child, and children that
have been diagnosed with ADHD have limited natural means of displaying socially acceptable
behaviors. An improvement in their social life directly correlates with improvements in their
self-esteem and academics. To the untrained eye, an aggressive child who has ADHD may
simply appear defiant and spoiled. It is the educator’s job to look beyond the actions of the

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