Comparison of the effectiveness of parent-child communication therapy with parent-child interaction therapy on communication skills and social adjustment in children with attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder

AbstractWeak communication skills and social adjustment are secondary problems of children with ADHD, and paying attention to these problems is important for improving the social life of these children. The aim of this study was to compared the effectiveness of parent-child communication package and parent-child interaction therapy on communication and social adjustment skills of children with ADHD in a quasi-experimental design with a single-subject design. In this study, 12 measurements (4 times as baseline, 4 times during treatment and 4 times as follow-up) were performed. Of the mothers of 6 to 12 years old children with ADHD in Isfahan along with their children, 6 mothers (n=12) were selected by purposive sampling and were randomly assigned into two groups of parent-child communication and parent-child interactive therapy. Then, 11 sessions of parent-child communication package for the first group and 12 sessions of parent-child interaction therapy for the second group were administered. The research tools were the Jerabec (2004) communication skills questionnaire and the Vineland Social Adaptation Scale (1935). The results showed that parent-child communication package and parent-child interaction therapy affected the communication skills of children with ADHD, but the effects of these treatments were reduced in the follow-up period. Also, only the parent-child communication package had a lasting effect on the social adjustment of children with ADHD. Therefore, the parent-child communication package plays a more effective role in improving the communication and social adjustment skills of children with ADHD than the parent-child interaction therapy.