Date
7-15-2024
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)
Chair
Laura E. Jones
Keywords
active-duty military, adolescent, ADHD, attachment theory, military-related resources
Disciplines
Education | Special Education and Teaching
Recommended Citation
Douglas, Anna Marie, "The Lived Experiences of Active-Duty Military Parents Caring for a Child with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Grades 6 - 12: A Phenomenological Study" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5793.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5793
Abstract
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of active-duty, Reserve, and National Guard military parents concerning their efforts to cultivate an environment of academic success for their children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Bowlby and Ainsworth's theory on attachment guided this study, explaining the correlation between insecure attachments and the display of worsening ADHD symptoms when breaking or not adequately establishing a secure attachment. The method this research study used was phenomenological hermeneutic. The sample for this study included 10 active-duty and Reserve military parents with at least one child diagnosed with ADHD and an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 Plan. The setting for this study was the United States of America (US). Data was collected using personal interviews, focus groups, and letter-writing following a prompt. The data was analyzed using two rounds of coding to develop seven themes, along with multiple subthemes, and three salient findings that describe the participants' lived experiences. The seven themes were Doing My Best as a Parent, Navigating the Nuances of My Dual Roles, It Is Possible, You Can Thrive, Protection Equals Expression, Communication is the Secret Ingredient, Getting the Right Help Provokes Action, and If I Could Do It All Over. The three salient findings have overarching implications for practice and policy. They are: military parents lack knowledge of military-related resources that will help them foster an environment of academic success for their ADHD-diagnosed children; when attachment between parents and children breaks, there is an increase in the likelihood of ADHD development, and there is a significant genetic link between ADHD in parents and children.
