Parent training for families of girls with attention deficit hyperactivitydisorder: An analysis of three cases

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is associated with a number of core and secondary problems. Core symptoms, such as inattention, hypera ctivity, and impulsivity, are often treated with stimulant medications like Ritalin. Secondary symptoms reflect difficulties in conduct, relationships , and coping skills and are usually treated with parent training and other psychotherapeutic means. Research examining the: effectiveness of parent tr aining for alleviating secondary symptoms is inconclusive, especially regar ding its effects in the home. Moreover, few girls have been employed as res earch participants. The purpose of this study is to examine the home behavi or and maternal perceptions of girls with ADHD, before, during, and after a parent training intervention. Three families having a daughter with ADHD ( aged ten to eleven years) completed the study. Parent ratings of behavior a nd emotional status were collected and observations of parent and child hom e behaviors were made. Observational and questionnaire data both show that child compliance improved in two out of three families. Results also indica te that parent ratings of child behavior agreed with behaviors observed in the home. Emotional improvement, and some lessening of the core ADHD sympto ms, were also reported. These results suggest that parents in this study ac curately reported changes in child behavior and that children made both emo tional and behavioral gains as a result of the parent training intervention .