Teachers as a Source of Support: Perceptions of Parents of Children With ADHD During COVID-19 Distance Learning

Abstract

The issues faced by children with ADHD and their parents in COVID-19 distance learning, and the parents’ perceptions of teachers’ role are examined in this qualitative phenomenological study. Teacher-parent collaboration is essential to implementing behavior-management programs at home and in school consistently. The instant transition to distance learning during the pandemic, which challenged teachers and families, underscored the difficulties of the students with learning disabilities. Participants were 18 mothers of elementary-school children with ADHD from mid- upper-middle social class. The research tool was semi-structured, in-depth, non-directive interview. The interviews revealed parents' descriptions of withdrawal along with opportunity, parents' response to child's difficulties, parents' initiatives, and parents' feelings of support and lack of relevant support from the educational staff. Results emphasize the importance of parent-teacher cooperation, especially in times of crisis, and of teachers’ supportive role. Practical implications are sought for guiding teachers to promote communication with parents in future crisis situations.