A Family's Experiences of Raising a Child Diagnosed With ADHD

Abstract

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) affects people diagnosed with it and their families in many ways. Parents of children with ADHD are likely to face challenges in various aspects of parenting their children. This chapter describes a case study of a family οf a child diagnosed with ADHD living permanently in Kos. The purpose of this study was to explore through in-depth structured interviews how parents perceive and manage the functioning and organisation of their family, the impact of the child's ADHD behaviour on their daily life, the sources of support they receive and their quality of life. The dominant themes identified were that parents perceive the disorder to affect family functioning and quality of life and seek support in order to cope with the difficulties of daily life. Understanding parents' own experiences is of paramount importance to clinical practice because the way a family functions and the sources of support available to them can have a significant impact on the child and the whole family system.