Empathy and Intersubjectivity in Culture: From Studies of Young Children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Empathy and Intersubjectivity in Culture: From Studies of Young Children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Drawing on studies of young children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) that I have conducted, I discuss in this article my developing ideas about empathy and intersubjectivity in culture. I begin by briefly explaining why I have studied young children with ADHD. I share some findings from a cross-cultural study of early childhood teachers’ perspectives on ADHD that I conducted a few years ago. I then describe peer relations of children with ADHD based on both a review of relevant literature and an initial analysis of my current study on young children considered at-risk of being diagnosed with ADHD. I conclude with implications of these studies for reexamining the construct of empathy, building intersubjective pedagogy, and considering empathy and intersubjectivity in culture.