Coaching parents of children with ADHD: A Western Australian study

Parents of children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often experience emotional and behavioural difficulties that contribute to stress and conflict in their family relationships. ADHD Parent Coaching is a promising intervention for these families; however, little is known about its effectiveness. This study explored the effects parent coaching had on parents of children with ADHD using descriptive case study methodology. A secondary purpose was to measure any reduction in stress and homework problems. A workshop offering solutions to homework-related issues was conducted over two consecutive weeks. Parents who attended (N=10) were offered parent coaching, and five parents were subsequently coached over a period of six to eleven weeks. Parents’ experiences of engaging with coaching were explored using thematic analysis of an interview conducted following the intervention (N=4). They also completed a Parent Stress Index (PSI) and Homework Problem Checklist (HPC) pre and post after intervention. Themes relating to mindfulness in parenting, changed parental cognitions, awareness of parenting styles, improved parent-child relationships, impacts on the wider family, and improved self-efficacy emerged from the interviews. The PSI results indicated significantly lower total parent stress scores following intervention while HPC scores were significantly improved. The results showed that parent coaching may produce positive outcomes, including reduced parental stress, increased self-efficacy and parent mindfulness