Objective: Despite evidence of social skill deficits in children with ADHD, there is no consensus regarding a social cognitive profile and whether these skills predict behavior. Therefore, a comprehensive battery was used to investigate the relationship between social cognition and behavioral functioning. Method: Children ages 7 to 13 with ADHD (n = 25) and controls (n = 25) completed tests assessing social cognitive domains (affect recognition and theory of mind [ToM]). Parents completed measures of social cognition (pragmatic language ability and empathy), behavioral symptoms, and adaptive functioning. Results: Children with ADHD performed significantly worse on measures of cognitive ToM and affect recognition and received lower ratings of pragmatic language and cognitive empathy than typically developing peers. These domains, particularly pragmatic language, predicted parent ratings of problematic and adaptive behaviors. Conclusion: Results establish a relationship between specific social cognitive abilities and daily functioning, which has implications for treatment.
Keywords: ADD/ADHD; ADHD impairment; ADHD-associated problems; behavior; social cognition.