Abstract:
The characteristically disruptive conduct exhibited both at school and home by children diagnosed with attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) appears to be particularly emotionally difficult for the children’s mothers, who often turn to
educational professionals for guidance. With a view to improving best practice in assistance to mothers and to promoting the
tenets of inclusive education policy, the authors investigated the ways in which mothers experienced the support provided by
educational psychologists. A qualitative interpretivist approach was adopted, with five purposefully selected mothers, whose
children had previously been diagnosed with ADHD. Data was gathered from a focus group discussion and an individual
interview. It emerged that mothers experienced parenting their children with ADHD as stressful, requiring continual reassurance
and emotional support from educational psychologists. Having need of counselling for their families and academic
help for their children, these mothers expected that educational psychologists should collaborate with educators and other
role players, so as to enhance overall support to their children as learners. The findings pointed to the need for an effective
inclusive school environment that forefront the role of educational psychologists in sharing knowledge and working
collaboratively across the education system in South Africa.
