Social Skills Training for Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Current Insights and Future Directions

Abstract

Objective: This review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Social Skills Training (SST) for children with ADHD, assess its role within multimodal treatment frameworks, and highlight emerging trends in intervention strategies. 
Study Design: Narrative review based on a comprehensive literature search. 
Place and Duration of Study: This review was conducted at the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Airlangga University, Dr. Soetomo General Academic Hospital, Indonesia from October 2024 - Deecember 2024. 
Methods: A narrative review of recent literature was conducted, examining SST outcomes in children with ADHD. Particular attention was given to integrated approaches and innovative SST delivery models. 
Results: Evidence supports the efficacy of SST in improving social communication, emotional regulation, and peer relationships in children with ADHD. However, challenges persist in maintaining gains outside structured environments. Integrating SST with parent-mediated components and technological tools, such as virtual platforms or gamified training, has shown potential to enhance engagement and generalization of skills. 
Conclusion: SST remains a valuable intervention for addressing social deficits in children with ADHD. Future research should prioritize optimizing delivery methods, tailoring programs to individual cognitive and behavioral profiles, and evaluating long-term outcomes to improve real-world applicability and treatment sustainability.