Quality Measures Database

The restoration of a person by therapeutic measures and re-education to participation in the activities of a normal life within the limitations of the person’s disorder or disability.
Additional Domain(s) : Psychotherapy, Children

To date no well-designed study has been empirically validated to support the use of social skills training, problem solving training, or study/organizational skills training in the direct treatment of ADHD. Anecdotal endorsement of these interventions does exist. Using the same criteria for acceptance of psychosocial treatments for ADHD and those used for acceptance of medication treatments for ADHD is difficult given methodological limits and complexities of psychosocial research. Thus, the following interventions may understood and most appropriate for implementation with individuals with ADHD when problems with social skills, problem solving, or organization co-occur with or develop secondaryrily to ADHD symptoms.
The purpose of education of the child is to provide the basis for further independence. The person with ADHD will be managing their own environment and interpersonal relationships and choosing a vacation. Without insight and specific strategies to address the impairment, long-term consequences may include decreased self-esteem and poor problem solving. Loss of social supports from peers has long-lasting consequences. Early interventions can avert the resulting loss of self-esteem and productivity.
The childs social skills are resources for solving the specific problems that arise from ADHD. Interpersonal problems and difficulties with peers may occur secondary to impulsivity (i.e., unpredictable behaviour). As the child gets older, unpredictable behavior is less tolerated by peers and within family.
Social skills building is meant to offer immediate practical skills in a safe setting. Sometimes this can be way to have several people(family, school, friends) offering the same message about appropriate behavior and may have a better chance of being generalized to a larger setting.
Social skills training (group or individual) instructs children in the execution of specific prosocial behaviors. It is appropriate for children who exhibit difficulties in initiating and maintaining positive peers interactions. Children with ADHD often show deficient use of functional, pragmatic language in social situations. This type of training is designed to increase knowledge about appropriate and inappropriate social behaviors. The various target skills may include maintaining conversation, sharing, and cooperating.
Social skills building groups may be available through the school. These may be recognized as friendship groups or social skills groups.
The goal of self-instructional problem solving training is to help children who have ADHD stop and think before acting. This therapeutic modality falls under the general category of cognitive-behavioral therapies.Designed to facilitiate self-control and reflective problem solving, it is appropriate for children who exhibit impulsive, non-self-controlled behavior and/or manifest deficits in problem solving. This can be accopmplished through the use of various resources: family therapy, in-home therapy, an individual therapist or county services(if available) all options should be coordinated with school efforts.

Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement Diagnosis and Management of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Primary Care for School Age Children and Adolescents. January, 2005, Health Care Guideline, Section 20; pp.33
Retrieved on Aug 1, 2006 from: http://www.bcbsnc.com/pdfs/clinicalguides/ICSI-ADHD2006.pdf

I: Consistently higher quality studies specifically focused on primary mental health care.

• * Availability or the access to social skills programs is an issue.

Ratings-based Rank Relevance 37 Actionability 61 Overall Importance 43		Stakeholder Rank Academics 40 Clinicians 49 Consumers 41 Decision Makers 51 �		Special Group Rank First Nations 36 Rural Areas 43 Federal Stakeholders 56
Regional Rank BC AB SK MB ON QC NB NS PE NL YT NT NU 13 33 91 23 73 38 22 78 96 13 63 88 82				Overall Rank        41