Parents' Experiences of the Assessment Process that Resulted in their Son's Diagnosis of ADHD
Abstract
In general, little is known about parents’ experiences of the entire assessment process that led to their child’s diagnosis of ADHD. The purpose of this study was to investigate parents’ experiences of the assessment process, conducted by a psychologist in private practice, that resulted in their child’s diagnosis of ADHD. Fifteen parents participated in semi-structured interviews that were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis. The five themes identified from the interviews of this study were: (a) Hoops and barriers (i.e., the journey that led parents to their son’s assessment), (b) What does this tell me about my son? (i.e., parents’ experiences with the communication of the diagnosis), (c) We’re not coming for labels. We’re not coming for drugs. We’re coming for roadmaps. (i.e., the need for support to manage their child’s difficulties), (d) It’s such a big journey (i.e., important aspects pervasive throughout the assessment, including the relationship with the psychologist and the emotional journey parents experienced), and (e) Rich insights: I want parents to know… (i.e., parent wisdom gained from the assessment that they can share with other parents new to the process). The results of the study emphasized the importance of the working alliance between psychologists and parents, along with the need for follow-up support, to promote quality services that address the parents’ and child’s needs. As an extension to this study, a parent intake form was developed to translate the knowledge generated from the parent interviews in a way that can be used in clinical practice. This form was developed in collaboration with parents to ensure that it addressed topics that were meaningful for them, as well as in collaboration with psychologists working in private practice who conduct assessments for ADHD to promote its feasibility and use in clinical practice. The implications and recommendations for practice and future research, based on the findings from this study, are discussed.
Description
Keywords
Educational Psychology
Citation
Buzanko, C. (2016). Parents' Experiences of the Assessment Process that Resulted in their Son's Diagnosis of ADHD (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/27258