ADHD in Adolescents - Commentary on the Special Issue of Ripple Effects in Self-Perceptions and Social Relationships

Oct 15, 2026

Adolescence is a developmental stage offering both risks and major opportunities, especially for youths dealing with ADHD. Ripple effects can spread widely and reveal the nuance involved in understanding and treating ADHD during this period. The special issue’s studies offer important insights into adolescents’ lives and highlight research and clinical priorities, emphasizing that adolescent perspectives must be actively solicited to refine assessment and intervention approaches.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Value of self-report in adolescents with ADHD

Self-perception bias and assessment considerations

Social functioning assessment challenges

Implications for school-based assessments and interventions

ADHD in Adolescents: Commentary on the Special Issue of Ripple Effects in Self-Perceptionsand Social Relationships Canadian Journal of School Psychology 2020, Vol. 35(4) 311–322 © The Authors 2020 Article reuse guidelines: [sagepub.com/journals-permissions](sagepub.com/journals-permissions)[ ](sagepub.com/journals-permissions)[DOI: 10.1177/0829573520954584](DOI: 10.1177/0829573520954584)[ ](DOI: 10.1177/0829573520954584)[journals.sagepub.com/home/cjs](journals.sagepub.com/home/cjs) Stephen P. Becker 1,2 Abstract Adolescence is a developmental period that affords both risk as well as enormous opportunity. Ripple effects can extend far and wide and speak to the nuance and complexity in understanding and treating ADHD during the adolescent period. The studies in this special issue provide novel and important insights into the lives of adolescents with ADHD, and they collectively point to important areas for both research and clinical attention. Further, each of the studies underscore the importance of soliciting the perspective of adolescents with ADHD. In this commentary, I consider the value of self-report when working with adolescents with ADHD, the possibility of a self-perception bias in youth with ADHD, challenges in assessing social functioning in adolescence, and implications for school-based assessments and interventions. For treatment specifically, I raise the possibility of a modular intervention approach for adolescents with ADHD and shared decision making that solicits and incorporates the adolescent perspective. The voices of adolescents with ADHD may be crucial for understanding how to lower risk, promote resilience, reduce stigma, and improve our assessments and interventions. Keywords ADHD, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, bias, positive illusory bias, school interventions, shared decision making, social functioning, stigma 1 Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA 2University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA Corresponding Author: Stephen P. Becker, Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave., MLC 10006, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA. Email: [stephen.becker@cchmc.org](stephen.becker@cchmc.org) Adolescence is a developmental period that affords both risk as well as enormous opportunity. This is true for all adolescents, and particularly so for teens with preexisting mental health or learning difficulties (Hinshaw & Becker, 2020) . Before starting doctoral training, I spent time working in community mental health with juvenile justice-involved adolescents and their families. When my focus shifted to research, my interest in adolescents involved in the juvenile justice system continued, with my first research project involving weekly visits to a nearby juvenile detention center to interview detained youth about their adverse life experiences (Becker & Kerig, 2011). Why venture down this road of personal history? Because my clinical and research work with juvenile justice-involved adolescents continue to have a tremendous influence on me today. Now that most of my work has turned to topics related to attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), I still think back to those juvenile justice-involved youth. I wonder how many likely had ADHD and what role ADHD and associated challenges played in their developmental trajectories. I wonder how family and peer relationships shaped behavior and contributed to decisions that led to involvement with the juvenile court for substance use or delinquency. I think about the adolescent who died by drug overdose, the adolescent who became an excited yet terrified young father, and also the many adolescents who with great vulnerability and insight shared about their lives and their hopes for the future. I also thought of these youth many times while reading the outstanding special issue on self-perceptions and social relation

FAQs

Why does the commentary emphasize adolescent perspectives in ADHD research and care?

The commentary argues that ripple effects and the complexity of understanding ADHD in adolescence require hearing adolescents’ voices. Studies in the special issue collectively point to research and clinical areas that benefit from soliciting these perspectives.

What concerns arise when using adolescent self-report for ADHD symptoms?

Adolescents may be less accurate informants for their own ADHD symptoms compared with adult informants. The text also notes possible self-perception biases that may be more prominent among individuals with ADHD.

What challenges are highlighted for assessing social functioning in adolescence?

The commentary points to difficulties in assessing social functioning during adolescence, and links these challenges to how adolescent self-perceptions and ratings may influence measurement. It discusses implications for how these assessments should be conducted.

Oct 15, 2026

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