| IntroductionIt is estimated that between 1% | | | | Although they may be intelligent and |
| and 6% of the adult population has AD/HD. | | | | enthusiastic workers, they often have |
| (Wender) Forty percent of children who have | | | | difficulties keeping a job. (Pary) Social |
| AD/HD have at least one parent who also meets | | | | skills deficits are common among this |
| the criteria for diagnosis. (Zeigler) AD/HD | | | | population. AD/HD can interfere with the |
| affects up to 7.5% of school-aged children, | | | | ability to establish and maintain close |
| or between one to three students in every | | | | relationships and may contribute to an |
| classroom. (Barbaresi, et al) For various | | | | unstable home environment.Parents of a child |
| reasons, AD/HD in adults often goes | | | | who has AD/HD are three times as likely to |
| undiagnosed. Thus, these parents are trying | | | | separate or divorce as parents of non-AD/HD |
| to carry out adult responsibilities without | | | | children. (Barkley 1995) Simply put, the |
| the benefit of appropriate treatment for | | | | parent may not have the emotional tools |
| their own AD/HD. Undiagnosed AD/HD in parents | | | | needed to effectively support the special |
| affects the entire family. These adults | | | | needs of the AD/HD child. Parents who do not |
| typically exhibit emotional labiality and | | | | have AD/HD report that these children are |
| tend to have higher rates of depression, | | | | often far more challenging to parent than |
| substance abuse disorders, and other | | | | their non-AD/HD siblings. The adult with AD |
| co-morbidities.Adults with AD/HD are less | | | | HD faces the already formidable task of |
| likely to graduate from college and even less | | | | raising a difficult child while at the same |
| likely to obtain advanced educational | | | | time trying to cope as best they can with |
| degrees. Like most adults with AD/HD, these | | | | their own AD/HD. |
| parents face uncertain career prospects. | | | | |