Lonergan, Colm; (2010) The perspectives of educational psychologists' teachers' parents' and healthcare professionals' on the assessment diagnosis and treatment of children with a diagnosis of ADHD in one English local authority. Doctoral thesis , Institute of Education, University of London.

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Abstract

The aim of this research is to gain the perspectives of key stakeholders involved the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of ADHD in one Local Authority where concerns have arisen about high rates of diagnosis and treatment. Knowledge and views about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD, APA 2001) may vary between parents of children with ADHD and professionals assessing, diagnosing and treating ADHD. It is hoped that this research will help provide a more effective framework for the assessment, diagnosis and treatment for children with ADHD and thus enable the Local Authority to have regard to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) (2008) guidelines on ADHD. This study took the form of a mixed methods design, incorporating qualitative data with summative quantitative figures. Semi-structured interviews and questionnaires explored the following areas of interest, firstly referral procedure; secondly, the assessment / diagnosis of ADHD; thirdly, individual perspectives of pharmacological treatment, and review process and, finally, the response to NICE guidelines on ADHD. Each interview was transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. In total twenty participants, which included five Teachers, five Educational Psychologists, five Parents and five Healthcare professionals were interviewed using semi-structured interviews and completed a short questionnaire. The thematic analysis of the interviews identified a number of factors which may be impacting on the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of children with ADHD, they were: subjectivity of diagnosis, limited resources, medical interventions, the ADHD label impact and lack of adherence to NICE guidelines. The findings of this study are important as they highlight the reality of current practice within the Local Authority and demonstrates that the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of children with ADHD is disjointed, potentially subjective and lacks alternative treatment options. Findings point to a number of practical implications that need to be considered in the Local Authority context.

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