title: Exasperating or exceptional? Parents' interpretations of their child's ADHD behavior.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a commonly diagnosed childhood disorder associated with parent-child conflict and parental stress. This investigation explored whether parents' interpretation of symptomatic behavior predicted negative interactions with and perceptions of their child.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited parents of 7-12 year old children who were diagnosed with ADHD (n = 41), were diagnosed with ADHD but whose parents construed symptomatic behavior positively (Indigo children; n = 36), and had no diagnosis (n = 26). Parents completed a questionnaire about their experiences with their child.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Relative to parents who used only the ADHD label for children's behavior, parents who also perceived symptomatic behavior as a sign of positive characteristics reported less frequent negative experiences with their child and less intense negative emotions during those experiences. They also viewed their children as more self-efficacious and as more likely to have a positive future.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Positive perceptions of child symptomatic behavior appeared to buffer the impact of ADHD symptoms on parents and parent-child relationships.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843-4235, USA. hlench@tamu.edu
authors.forename: Heather C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Lench
authors.forename: Linda J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.forename: Carol K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Whalen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D020377:Self Efficacy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires