Parenting a Child with ADHD

Parenting a Child with ADHD

In the past, when I have been asked in my academic career to choose a topic to research, I have often found myself going to where my passion lies, or a topic in which I feel a sense of comfort in discussing as it is familiar. Upon being asked to write this blog, however; I chose a topic, that while I live the experience on a daily basis, I have been reluctant to immerse myself further into the topic as I have been scared of the research I might find, especially research that could indicate poor outcomes. Additionally, I have lived with the shame that I may be doing something wrong for this to happen within my family. As I researched my topic, however, I realized that I am not the only mother that feels this way and that my efforts to create structure and stability within my family have been crucial to the improvements that I have seen over the past year. This blog series will explore the dynamics of parenting a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. I will specifically address topics that affect families who have children with ADHD: family structure and environment, parent perception of family functioning, parental stress, parental involvement in the child’s education and effective strategies or interventions for the family unit as a whole to utilize. This blog is dedicated to my son Sebastian, who is an incredible child that continues to show me daily that he is not his diagnosis.

                 

Prevalence of Childhood ADHD and Signs/Symptoms

According to Moen, Hedelin and Hall-Lord (2015), “attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common developmental disorders in childhood, with a prevalence of approximately 5% of school-aged children” (p. 10).  Additionally, a diagnosis of ADHD is known to be more prevalent in males, with a ratio of 2:1, as reported by the American Psychiatric Association (Conlon, Strassle, Vinh & Trout, 2008).

The following video highlights signs and symptoms of childhood ADHD. It is important to note, however, that proper assessment by a licensed professional should be completed before a diagnosis of ADHD is determined.

Effects of Environment and Functioning Within Families Who Have a Child Diagnosed with ADHD

 
 Shroeder and Kelley(2009) conducted a research study on attempting to identify links between family environment, ways of parenting and level of executive functioning of children who are diagnosed with ADHD, compared to those children who do not have ADHD. This study took a different approach on looking at the structure of the family environment in that the goal was to identify “how aspects of the family environment and parent-child relationships were related to executive functioning of children with ADHD as compared to children without ADHD” (p. 227). Shroeder and Kelley(2009) note that past studies have certainly focused on the effects of family environment and parenting styles, but have not explored how children’s executive functioning(which includes a behavioral regulation component and metacognition abilities)may be affected as a result. 

 Shroeder and Kelley’s(2009) study in particular gathered 134 parents and/or legal guadians of children who had or did not have ADHD. Ages of children ranged from 6-12 years of age, where 29 had a diagnosis of ADHD, and the remaining 105 child participants did not have ADHD. The sample was 45.5% girls and 54.5% boys, with the distribution of grade level as follows: 9% in kindergarten, 12.7% in first grade, 15.7% in second grade, 14.9% in third grade,17.2% in fourth grade, 12.7% in fifth grade and 14.9% in sixth grade. The study utilized three measures ( Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Parent Form, Parent-Child Relationship Inventory and Family Environment Scale) to determine if there was a correlation between family environment, ways of parenting and a child’s executive functioning.  The study ultimately concluded that families of children with ADHD identified with more variables that indicated a presence of a higher level of family conflict and less organization as compared to families with children who did not have ADHD. Within the measure results it was additionally identified that children who have ADHD do have more difficulty in executive functioning processes (Shroeder & Kelley, 2009). While parents reported that their child with ADHD had more difficulty in executive functioning, the study ultimately concluded that no significant correlation existed between family environment, ways of parenting and a child’s difficulty in executive functioning.

 
 In addition to researching possible impacts that family environment may have on a child with ADHD in regards to their executive functioning, I also briefly examined  a research study completed by Moen, Hedelin and Hall-Lord(2015) that focused on the parent’s perspective on living with a child who has ADHD when support is involved. The study also focused on other factors such as the child’s behavior, ability for the family to function and a sense of togetherness via the parent’s perspective. The study measured these variables by not only including questions about each family member and perspectives from other support services, but a series of scales were used as well. These scales included the Family Assessment Device (FAD), the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), Sense of Coherence(SOC) and Social Cohesion and Support Index(SCS). The results indicated that parents who had children that were medicated for ADHD had reported that they were “satisfied with social support (SCS), rated their children’s behavior as less problematic and reported better family functioning” (p. 10). Additionally, the research concluded that the following factors were important to consider when looking to provide families with support: a strong sense of togetherness within the family unit, social support and formal support from community partners or agencies.

Next time…

               

 The brief research I have presented suggests that there are many facets to consider in a family when a child within the unit is diagnosed with ADHD. While some of the research has indicated that a child diagnosed with ADHD has a greater chance of living within a family that is lower functioning, has more marital conflict, less of a sense of togetherness and less parental involvement with the child’s education, there is more to be discovered within the family dynamic as to why these factors may be arising (Conlon, Strassle, Vinh & Trout, 2008). One significant component is the reality of the amount of stress that this diagnosis can place on each member of the family, and how this can have the potential to cause issues such as marital conflict or lack of support from others within and outside the family unit. The next blog will focus specifically on parental stress within families that have a child who is diagnosed with ADHD and how this component is also crucial to address in addition to treating the actual ADHD diagnosis. Additionally, the final blog will explore the importance of parental involvement, particularly in the child’s education in order to improve the child’s symptoms and ultimately to create an environment where the child is supported in each realm of their lives. Lastly, I also plan to offer my own perspective on what myself and my husband have learned in this journey with our son and provide positive ways to promote family connectedness.

References

Conlon, K. E., Strassle, C. G., Vinh, D., & Trout, G. (2008). Family management styles and ADHD: Utility and treatment implications. Journal of Family Nursing, 14(2), 181-200.

Moen, O. L., Hedelin, B., & Hall-Lord, M. L. (2015). Parental perception of family functioning in everyday life with a child with ADHD. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 43(1), 10-17.

Schroeder, V. M., & Kelley, M. L. (2009). Associations between family environment, parenting practices, and executive functioning of children with and without ADHD. Journal of Child and Family Studies J Child Fam Stud, 18(2), 227-235.