Working with Children with ADHD—A Latent Profile Analysis of Teachers’ and Psychotherapists’ Attitudes

Abstract

A positive attitude of teachers and psychotherapists towards children with ADHD can both support their mutual relationship and support reducing ADHD-related symptoms. According to Fishbein and Ajzen’s rational-choice approach, attitude formation is based on a person’s expectations and the appraisal of these, thus attitude, therefore, differs individually. The present study aimed to identify different attitude profiles based on our participants’ answer patterns on the ADHD-school-expectation questionnaire’s (ASE) subscales, and to examine which attitude profile would be desirable for professionals working with children with ADHD. We conducted a latent profile analysis and investigated differences between the latent profiles. Our analysis revealed three attitude profiles characterized by negative, moderate and extreme ratings of expectations. The attitude profiles differed in further variables such as the use and effectiveness of rating classroom management strategies, knowledge of ADHD, perceived control, stress and strain, as well as some personality traits. The extreme rating profile seems to be beneficial for children with ADHD, whereas the moderate rating profile might appeal to certain professionals.