This study has two major purposes. First is to develop an instrument to measure the social competence in children with ADHD. Second is to analyze the relation between ADHD children’s social competence and its affecting variables(severity of ADHD sym...
This study has two major purposes. First is to develop an instrument to measure the social competence in children with ADHD. Second is to analyze the relation between ADHD children’s social competence and its affecting variables(severity of ADHD symptoms, parent-teacher partnership, mother’s warmth, teacher’s and peer’s support)
To develop a measuring tool of a children’s competence an open questionnaire was held on mothers who have an elementary school child and elementary teachers regarding the behavioral characteristics of socially competent childrenm and based on it question items were developed. Then, questionnaire inquiry was given to 260 mothers with an elementary school child and exploring factor analysis and reliability analysis were performed on it. Through exploring factor analysis, for social competence in children, 45 question items were derived from 6 factors of empathy, extroversion, self-management, emotional control, expressiveness, and social knowledge comprehension. A whole reliability on this scale was revealed high at .94 and reliability on 6 factors was shown .76 ~ .91.
To analyze the relation between ADHD children’s social competence and its affecting variables questionnaire was held on boys in their 3-6th grades of elementary school, who was diagnosed with ADHD and on medication treatment at University hospitals and pediatric psychiatry in Busan and Gyeongnam area, and their mothers, 119 persons all told. To ADHD children questionnaire was given on their supporting teachers and peers while to their mothers, questionnaire was given on the severity of ADHD symptoms, parent-teacher partnership, and mother’s warmth, both data collected. On the data collected this way, correlation was performed between social competence and related variables and to find the relations between each affecting variables structural equation was performed. Summing up the results obtained through above data analysis is as follows.
First, severity of ADHD symptoms was shown to affect directly or indirectly the social competence of ADHD children and proved to have the highest effect on the children’s social competence compared to mother’s warmth, perceived support from teachers and peers and parent-teacher partnership. Besides, severity of ADHD symptoms were revealed to affect indirectly ADHD children’s development of social competence through a medium of mother’s warmth and teacher’s support.
Second, mother’s warmth was revealed to affect directly ADHD children’s social competence and the influence proved to be the next higher variable than severity of ADHD symptoms. And this mother’s warmth was shown to be affected by the severity of ADHD symptoms.
Third, parent-teacher partnership was shown to affect positively mother’s warmth and it was revealed to affect indirectly ADHD children’s social competence through a medium of mother’s nursing behavior.
Fourth, support from teacher in class was shown to strongly affect peer’s support but not to affect significantly ADHD children’s social competence. And teacher’s support perceived by a child was revealed to be negatively affected by the severity of ADHD symptoms.
From above study results the following conclusions could be reached. Above all, to summarize the conclusions of research question number 1, the instrument developed in this study could be one that reflects well our country’s social, cultural characteristics by participations of mothers who have an elementary school child and teachers. In addition, we decided that its reliability is also good enough to be used for assessing the social competence of the children in our country. That is, the instrument developed in this study can be the proper one by which a mother can evaluate the social competence of an elementary school child in our country.
Next, to summarize the conclusions of research question number 2, it is as follows.
First, it can be said that ADHD children’s social competence cleared up in this study is much affected by the severity of ADHD symptoms, mother’s warmth and parent-teacher partnership. Of these, severity of ADHD symptoms not only affects directly ADHD children’s social competence but also affects it indirectly through a medium of mother’s warmth and teacher’s support. This means that even if ADHD children show a decreased level of behavioral problems than before through medication treatment, their behavioral problems are still a variable that hinders a children’s social competence and that through a more multi-dimensional approach children’s behavioral problems should be decreased.
Second, a mother’s warmth is a variable that directly affects ADHD children’s social competence, and it affects children’s social competence next higher than severity of ADHD symptoms. This means that warmth of a mother, who is chiefly accountable for ADHD children’s upbringing with many interactions, is important than any other thing and that through a mother’s warmth ADHD child can make a positive change in his personal relations, including with his peers.
Third, partnership between parent and teacher indirectly affects ADHD children’s social competence through a medium of a mother’s positive nursing behavior. This means that the better partnership between parent and teacher, the more positive direction a mother’s nursing behavior changes in, and consequently, it can affect the ADHD child’s social competence.