The comparison of Anxiety, Social skills and Social acceptance in children with ADHD, SLD and TD: insights into behavioral and emotional challenges

Articles in Press

Document Type : Englise Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Psychology and Education of Children with Special Needs, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Isfahan, Iran;

2 PhD candidate, Department of Psychology and Education of Children with Special Needs, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Isfahan, Iran;

3 Post-Doctoral Researcher in Neuroscience at Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy.

10.22108/cbs.2026.147036.2090

Abstract

This study compared anxiety levels, social skills, and social acceptance in children with ADHD, SLD, and TD. Ninety children, including 30 TD, 30 ADHD, and 30 SLD, were selected by purposive sampling. All three groups were evaluated using Spence’s Child Anxiety Scale, Ford and Robin’s Social Acceptance Scale, and Gresham and Elliott’s Social Skills Grading Scale. The data were analyzed by MANOVA and post-hoc tests. Findings showed significant differences between the TD group and the ADHD and SLD groups across various components of anxiety. The ADHD and SLD groups also showed performance differences. The TD group had significantly lower anxiety scores than the ADHD group, with the SLD group showing the highest anxiety. In Separation Anxiety, the ADHD group scored the highest. No significant differences were found in Fear of Physical Harm, Obsessive-Compulsive, and Panic-Agoraphobia subscales. Both the TD and SLD groups scored higher than the ADHD group in cooperation, assertiveness, self-control, and total social skills. The TD group had the highest social acceptance, followed by SLD, then ADHD. These findings can have implications for the assessment and treatment of these groups of children.

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Research in Cognitive and Behavioral Sciences

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 22 June 2026

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History

  • Receive Date: 15 October 2025
  • Revise Date: 09 February 2026
  • Accept Date: 22 June 2026

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