Publication Date

2011

Document Type

Masters Thesis

Department

School for Social Work

Keywords

Parents of mentally ill children, Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, Teachers of children with mental disabilities-Attitudes., Parent-teacher relationships, Teacher-student relationships, ADHD, ADD, Children, Teacher, School, Social, Emotional, Functioning, Perception, Parent, Attention-deficit-disordered children-Education., Attention-deficit-disordered children-Psychology

Abstract

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD/ADD) is the most common childhood psychiatric disorder, affecting attention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, in 3 to 7 percent of school age children (American Psychiatric Association, 2000; Daley and Birchwood, 2010). ADHD/ADD can impact all aspects of life, in particularly school and social-emotional functioning (Mash and Barkley, 2006; Daley and Birchwood, 2010). Few studies have directly examined teachers' attitudes and behaviors related to teaching children with ADHD/ADD (Kos, Richdale, and Hay, 2006). The goal of this study was to explore the impact of teacher attitudes and behaviors on the social and emotional functioning of children with ADHD/ADD, by surveying parents of children with ADHD/ADD. Twenty-seven parents were surveyed, finding that 1) most parents felt teachers were either a little or somewhat knowledgeable of ADHD/ADD, 2) parents' perceived that teachers were either irritated with their child's behaviors which resulted the perception that teachers were unsupportive and blaming or that they were supportive and understanding that the child was not to blame, but still irritated, 3) parents viewed that children had decreased social functioning, but that 4) emotional functioning was not compromised as a result of teachers' attitudes or behaviors. Further research needs to be completed on the attitudes and behaviors of teachers towards students with ADHD/ADD and other diagnoses without doing so through only assessing teacher knowledge of the diagnoses.

Language

English

Comments

iv, 66 p. Thesis (M.S.W.)-Smith College School for Social Work, Northampton, Mass., 2011. Includes bibliographical references (p. 47-48)

Download

Share

COinS