Parent, Teacher and Physician in the Life of the Hyperactive Child [microform] : The Coherence of the Social Environment. Final Report / James J. Bosco and Stanley S. Robin

The study examined the social realities of hyperactivity through over 600 interviews with parents, teachers, and physicians. Interviewers sought to analyze the interactions of medical, educational, and familial social systems regarding diagnosis and treatment of hyperactive children. Three questions were focused on: beliefs and attitudes of physicians, teachers, and parents concerning hyperactive children; role perceptions of teachers, parents, and physicians; and modes of social systems interaction in treatment. Interview schedules were developed, refined, and administered along with questionnaires. Findings are discussed in terms of prevalence of hyperactivity (substantially lower than comparable findings in the literature); parents', teachers', and physicians' perceptions about the diagnosis and treatment of hyperactive children (including monitoring of children being treated with stimulant medication and the social psychological context); differing beliefs about and attitudes toward hyperactivity and stimulant medication treatment on the part of physicians, parents, and teachers (reflecting differences among social systems); the children's attitudes, perceptions, and experiences (including an overall positive view toward their medication); and parent, teacher, and physician roles in caring for hyperactive children (including disagreement over major responsibility). Analysis of dimensions of inclusion, dominance, and legitimacy in roles of parents, teachers, and physicians reveal areas of tension and incoherence in the three social systems. Policy implications are noted regarding the controversy over hyperactivity and its treatment and social forces which hamper policy development. Extensive appended material include sample forms and data tables as well as responses from child interviews. (CL)