School Refusal Behaviour and Social Skills in Children with Attention-Deficit/hyperactivity Disorder

Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have higher school absenteeism and poorer social skills compared with typically developing children. The objectives of this study were to investigate (1) which forms of school refusal behaviour (SRB) are more common and (2) the relationship between SRB and social skills in children with ADHD. Parents (N = 96) of children with ADHD (M age = 12.4, range 10-15, 61.5% boys) completed the School Refusal Assessment Scale - Revised and the Social Skills Improvement System. Findings were analysed using analysis of variance, correlational analyses, and multiple regression analyses. The most common forms of SRB were avoidance of aversive situations at school and seeking attention from significant others. Significant correlations between different forms of SRB and engagement, autistic traits, cooperation skills, and self-control were found. Less engagement significantly predicted more SRB due to avoidance of aversive situations, avoidance of social situations, and seeking attention from significant others in multiple regression analyses. Targeting social engagement in social skills training for children with ADHD may decrease SRB.