Parenting With Distractions: Assessing AD/HD in Parents of AD/HD Children

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