Classroom Social Interactions of Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity Children as a Function of Stimulant Medication

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Abstract
Fifteen outpatient and 13 inpatient children with attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity (ADDH), age 6 to 12, were observed directly in their classrooms to investigate potential changes in social behaviors and interaction patterns with peers and teaching staff as a function of stimulant medication. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject design was used to administer two dose levels of methylphenidate. Analyses were conducted on marginal and joint probabilities of 11 observationally based composite behavior categories. In addition to general differences between outpatient and inpatient children, the results indicated there was no change in social approach behaviors of these children as they decreased their display of problem behaviors as a function of stimulants. Peers and teachers responded and attended less to them, however, when they received stimulants as compared to placebo. The implications of these findings for stimulant-treated children's social status and development were discussed