When Self and Others Disagree: Informant Discrepancies in ADHD and ASD and Psychosocial Outcomes

Informant discrepances are frequently observed in self- and proxy-report in dyads involving children with ADHD. However, it remains unclear whether these discrepances are specific to ADHD or are also present in other clinical groups, as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Moreover, it is not fully understood whether these children hold a fundamentally different perception of their own abilities, or whether they tend to underestimate the severity of their difficulties compared to their parents. Additionally, the relation between informant discrepancies and psychological outcomes remains underexplored. This research aimed to address these questions through two separate studies.

Study 1 involved 50 children with ADHD, 49 ASD, and 121 non-diagnosed (ND) peers to investigate whether informant discrepancies is specific to ADHD. Based on its findings, Study 2 focused on 47 children with ADHD and 47 ND peers to analyze the psychological outcomes. In both studies, children and their parents completed parallel questionnaires assessing social abilities. Study 1 also assessed behavioral issues, while Study 2 examined self-confidence and internalizing/externalizing symptoms.

Study 1 revealed children with ADHD are aware of their social difficulties, but tend to underestimate their severity compared to their parent reports, whereas dyads involving autistic and ND children show full alignment between self- and proxy ratings. Informant discrepancies in ADHD were limited to social functioning and did not extend to behavioral issues. In Study 2, informant discrepancies were positively associated with self-confidence in children with ADHD and with externalizing behaviors.

In conclusion, informant discrepancies seem specific to ADHD and limited to social functioning. The relation with psychological outcomes varies, indicating the need for consideration in clinical settings.