Features of Parental Attitudes in Families of Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Introduction. The modern world is characterized by global changes in technology, social structure, the mental sphere of children and features of their behavior are also subject to change. There is a change in the fine tuning of mental cognitive processes. The number of children and adolescents with signs of attention deficit and hyperactivity has increased. The development of children with peculiarities is directly related to parental upbringing and relationships in the family. In preschool age parental relations become a determining factor for building the child’s relations in the future, they determine the success of his social life. The study considered the peculiarities of parents’ attitudes towards a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and attitudes towards family life.

Objective. To analyze the specificity of relationships in families with ADHD children and aspects of child development with disabilities.

Materials and Methods. Identification of preschoolers with ADHD was carried out through the study of anamnestic data, neurological diagnoses and expert evaluations. The following psychodiagnostic tools were used during the study: Toulouse-Pieron test; Unified questionnaire for parents and teachers by A. B. Filippova; PARI technique (E. S. Schaefer, R. K. Bell adapted by T. V. Nescheret); Projective technique “Family Drawing”.

Results. The study involved 66 families raising children with ADHD and children without neurological diagnoses, aged 6–7 years. In families of children with ADHD compared to families raising children with normal development, there are differences in the categories of “custody” and “parental dominance”, the role of the mother “on top” prevails. There is a specificity in attitudes to the family role, father’s indifference and tendency to conflicts are common. The revealed tendencies can become an independent reason for secondary neurotization of both the mother of a child with disabilities and the child himself.

Discussion. The results of the study can become the basis for psychological help to both children with disabilities and their parents. They can be applied in diagnosing dysfunctional families and taken into account when diagnosing children with symptoms of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder due to the fact that the results of improper upbringing can cause symptoms of a child’s behavior disorder.

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