Abstract
This study examined urban educators’ attitudes toward commonly recommended interventions for students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Participants included 358 pupil personnel services (PPS) professionals—school psychologists, social workers, and counselors—and 70 classroom teachers from urban elementary schools. On average, PPS professionals and classroom teachers expressed little confidence in the effectiveness of commonly used classroom, mental health, and pharmacological treatments for ADHD. For PPS professionals, a moderately positive correlation was found between self-confidence and effectiveness ratings for classroom interventions and mental health interventions, and a small positive association was found between knowledge of ADHD and effectiveness ratings for medication. Teacher self-confidence was positively associated with effectiveness ratings for classroom interventions. Knowledge of ADHD was negatively correlated with teacher perceptions of the effectiveness of classroom and mental health interventions. Neither child gender nor ADHD subtype influenced effectiveness ratings. Results are discussed in regard to the urgent need for urban educators to experience greater success in their efforts to implement interventions for students with ADHD and for research focused on the unique needs of children residing in urban, low-income communities.
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