Parents' Experiences of the Assessment Process that Resulted in their Son's Diagnosis of ADHD

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atmire.migration.oldid5166
dc.contributor.advisorAndrews, Jac
dc.contributor.advisorStrong, Tom
dc.contributor.authorBuzanko, Caroline
dc.contributor.committeememberZwiers, Michael
dc.contributor.committeememberNordstokke, David
dc.date.accessioned2016-12-22T21:08:31Z
dc.date.available2016-12-22T21:08:31Z
dc.date.issued2016
dc.date.submitted2016en
dc.description.abstractIn 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.en_US
dc.identifier.citationBuzanko, 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/27258en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/27258
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11023/3514
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisher.facultyGraduate Studies
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.publisher.placeCalgaryen
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subjectEducational Psychology
dc.subject.classificationADHDen_US
dc.subject.classificationParent experiencesen_US
dc.subject.classificationAssessmenten_US
dc.titleParents' Experiences of the Assessment Process that Resulted in their Son's Diagnosis of ADHD
dc.typedoctoral thesis
thesis.degree.disciplineEducational Psychology
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgary
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophy (PhD)
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrue
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