Perspectives of College Students on their Childhood ADHD

Purpose: To determine what successful young adults perceive was helpful to them when they were struggling with their attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms as children. Study Design and Methods: Sixteen young adult college students with a history of ADHD participated in semi-structured interviews that asked them which people and what strategies they had found most helpful to them during their childhood. Data were analyzed using content analysis. Results: The most helpful people were parents and teachers; the most helpful strategies were caring behaviors and active teaching/learning strategies. Participants remembered helpful people as "giving me strategies to help me keep my mind focused on something; keep me involved, keep me interested." Clinical Implications: Children with ADHD need the support of caring adults who use active teaching strategies. Nurses working with children and adolescents in any setting can educate parents about the best ways to help children with ADHD succeed, using some of the results of this research.