The Effect of Teaching Communication Skills to Mothers of Children with Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder on Enhancement of Parent-Child Interaction

The present study aimed to investigate the efficacy of communication skills training to mothers of children with attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) on enhancement of parent-child interaction. Twenty six mothers who had 6-12 year old children with ADHD were selected by purposeful sampling and randomly assigned into either experimental or control group. The participants completed the Pianta Parent-Child Interaction Scale (1994). The experimental group received 8 sessions of the communication skills training. The results indicated that the communication skills training had significant effect on enhancement of parent-child interaction in the experimental group. The communication skills training reduced the conflict and dependence components and increased intimacy component. Given the importance of parents education in rearing children, communication skills training to parents of children with ADHD is necessary to improve parent-child interaction in this group.