| Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a condition | | | | issue is that many children with ADHD will grow into |
| which causes them to have difficulty controlling their | | | | substance abusing adolescents and this is partly due to |
| behavior and paying attention. Other problem areas | | | | the fact that their behavior leads to social |
| are oppositional behavior toward adults and academic | | | | developmental problems. Early expressions of |
| failure. These children face many more difficulties in | | | | antisocial behavior, such as aggression and other |
| early development than children without the disorder | | | | conduct problems in childhood, are well-established |
| because they face crises with peers, trouble with their | | | | prospective predictors of early substance use (Molina |
| education, and tension and frustration in the home | | | | & Pelham, 2003). |
| environment. | | | | Other commonalities between individuals with ADHD |
| Regarding crises with peers, studies have shown that | | | | exist in the way that they cope and deal with stress. |
| children that have ADHD had distorted perceptions of | | | | ADHD children are much more at risk of developing |
| their own peer acceptance and rejection, social | | | | dependencies on substances as adolescents and |
| preferences and social impact. Many children who | | | | adults than children without ADHD. ADHD adolescents |
| thought they were well-liked were in fact disliked by | | | | were three times more likely to have used at least |
| "normal" children for reasons directly related to the | | | | one hard drug at some point in their life, than normal |
| disorder, such as aggression and hyperactivity. Children | | | | adolescents (Molina & Pelham, 2003). |
| with ADHD struggle during their years of education | | | | Polysubstance use, the use of more than one drug at |
| because of their behavior problems which are | | | | a time, is a higher risk in those with ADHD (Molina |
| displayed in front of their peers and teachers. | | | | & Pelham, 2003). Often the frustrations of |
| Research shows that children who are diagnosed with | | | | growing up with ADHD leads these individuals to |
| ADHD have a significantly increased risk of becoming | | | | release their stress in this unhealthy way. |
| substance dependent in adolescence. Many of the | | | | Another risk for children growing up with ADHD is that |
| characteristic traits and behavior issues of individuals | | | | due to their tendency to be rejected by friends, they |
| with ADHD contributed to reliance on tobacco, alcohol | | | | may find their way of coping in becoming friends with |
| and illegal substances. | | | | the first person who ever shows interest in knowing |
| Children with ADHD were also prone to holding inflated | | | | them. This typically leads children with ADHD into peer |
| positive self perceptions in comparison to others. They | | | | groups which are not necessarily safe and healthy. It is |
| are believed to inflate their perception of themselves | | | | possible that as these children are discouraged in their |
| most in areas which they are lacking due to their | | | | attempts to become friends with more "popular" peers, |
| disorder. This is problematic for these individuals | | | | they will gravitate toward anyone willing to accept |
| because they form a false sense of the way others | | | | them ( Hoza, Mrug, Gerdes, Hinshaw, Bukowski, Gold, |
| see them and do not function appropriately in social | | | | Kraemer, Pelham, Wigal, & Arnold, 2005). |
| situations. | | | | Research should continue on the way that ADHD |
| One of the major problems that children diagnosed | | | | affects children's social development. Although |
| with ADHD face is forming healthy relationships with | | | | conclusions were drawn, changes will take place over |
| others. It is common for these children to find | | | | time as teachers and parents become more educated |
| themselves rejected by others due to the difficult | | | | in their methods of controlling these problematic |
| nature of the child's personality. Usually, the child's lack | | | | behaviors. Perhaps once these children learn more |
| of solid relationships with peers is the cause of adults' | | | | healthy methods of releasing frustration and anger and |
| frustration in dealing with them. Often, if the child had at | | | | ways to stay focused for longer periods of time, they |
| least one true friend, some of the areas that he finds | | | | will become more appealing as potential friends to |
| difficulty in would be lessened because he had | | | | other children. |
| someone that he could rely on and trust. | | | | It is important that for the next study on this topic, |
| Results of many past studies show that other children | | | | children are not confused as to what they are asked |
| do not find ADHD children as potential companions | | | | to do. They should be asked short, specific questions |
| (Hoza, Mrug, Gerdes, Hinshaw, Bukowski, Gold, | | | | about their peers with ADHD so that the results will be |
| Kraemer, Pelham, Wigal, & Arnold, 2005). They | | | | more accurate. The method and results of the study |
| tend to seek out children as friends who are mostly | | | | related to ADHD and adolescent substance use was |
| easy going. Peers more often associated hyperactive | | | | fairly straightforward and clear. The participants were |
| children with "bad kids", rather than "good kids" (Hoza, | | | | consistent and since this was a longitudinal study, there |
| Mrug, Gerdes, Hinshaw, Bukowski, Gold, Kraemer, | | | | is not question as to whether or not the results are |
| Pelham, Wigal, & Arnold, 2005). Factors such as | | | | accurate. They simply followed these individuals into |
| the inability to pay attention and focus is strongly | | | | their adolescence to determine whether their ADHD |
| correlated with factors such as poor academic | | | | had increased their risk of using substances, more than |
| achievement and peer difficulties (Molina & | | | | individuals without ADHD. For future studies, it would be |
| Pelham, 2003). | | | | beneficial to follow a larger sample group. This way, |
| Another commonality for children with ADHD is their | | | | there would be much more representational data. |
| inability to control their emotions and behavior and the | | | | However, longitudinal studies are difficult to complete |
| problems that result. ADHD in children causes them to | | | | because some people cannot be located after so |
| vent their frustrations and anger in more public and | | | | much time has passed. The results for this study |
| external ways than children without the disorder. | | | | showed strong correlations between the child's ADHD |
| These children are extremely impulsive and what they | | | | symptoms and later substance use. This data shows |
| don't realize is that acting out in inappropriate ways | | | | that the study is very reliable and later studies would |
| causes them to be rejected and shunned by others | | | | be beneficial to discover whether positive changes are |
| who do not understand their reasons for acting out. | | | | occurring for children diagnosed early with ADHD. |
| Aggressive boys that have ADHD tend to inflate their | | | | Further research would also be beneficial regarding the |
| self perception the most in the social and behavioral | | | | study on children with ADHD who have inflated self |
| domains (Hoza, Gerdes, Hinshaw, Arnold, Pelham, | | | | perceptions. These explanations help others to |
| Molina, Abikoff, Eptstein, Greenhill, Hechtman, Odbert, | | | | understand why these children act the way they do in |
| Swanson, & Wigal, 2004). The reason that they | | | | public and with their peers. As attempts are made in |
| inflate their self perception is because their outright | | | | the future at controlling problematic social and |
| aggression actually causes people to dislike them but | | | | behavioral problems, perhaps these children will be |
| the person with ADHD doesn't realize that it's a | | | | more accepted by their peers and will no longer need |
| problem and sees himself as normal, leading him to | | | | to inflate their self perception because the way they |
| think that others like him. This is just one problem that | | | | feel about how others seem them will become more |
| arises because of behavior problem. Another serious | | | | accurate. |