Angela Varma, M.A.

I am currently completing my PhD in the School and Clinical Child Psychology program at OISE/University of Toronto. For the past six years, I have been investigating the self-perceptions (beliefs) of adolescents with ADHD for their own difficulties. Why is it important to examine the self-perceptions of adolescents with ADHD? A lot of research has shown that parents and teachers of adolescents with ADHD believe that teens experience difficulties in the academic, social, and behavioural domains. However, very little research has focused on adolescents’ own perceptions about how they do in these areas. I believe that adolescents with ADHD have valuable information to share, which should also be taken into account. By understanding how adolescents with ADHD view their own difficulties, I hope that mental health professionals can develop better interventions for them and consider their beliefs when trying to help them. Some of my initial research, based on a small study during my M.A. thesis, showed that 13-17 year old boys with ADHD viewed their symptoms of inattention (e.g. concentrating, getting easily distracted) and difficulties associated with having a co-occurring learning disability (e.g., solving math problems, organizing ideas when writing) as particularly problematic. They also perceived that their parents and teachers were bothered by their difficulties. In my current doctoral research, I am continuing to examine the perceptions of both male and female adolescents with ADHD. In this research, I am also considering if the perceptions of adolescents differ from parents and teachers, and what this might mean for intervention.