Psychotherapeutic Treatments for ADHD: Analysis of Parental Perceptions for Parent Behavior Training

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects five percent of our youth population under the age of 15 (Charach, 2011). Much research has sought to identify a treatment that sustainable, practical, and effective is necessary. Parent Behavior Training (PBT) is a form of psychosocial therapy, which helps parents understand the biological and social roots of their child's disorder. In addition, PBT encourages improved behavior in youth through operant conditioning and restructured parental expectations. Although research supports PBT for families with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), conduct disorder (CD), and autistic households, there is not sufficient research to determine its effect on ADHD families (Charach, 2013). This study used multiple surveys to focus on parental perceptions of PBT for ADHD families. Results of the survey suggest that parents recommend PBT as a viable treatment plan of ADHD families, revealing that parents learned useful techniques to discipline their child, which then improved their relationship with their child. Future recommendations to improve the program are also included.