ERIC Number: ED527230
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 109
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: ISBN-978-1-1245-1683-7
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
The Level of Involvement of School Counselors in the Provision of Services to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Students: Implications for Counseling
Nabavi, Nadia
ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Texas Southern University
The influx of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) into the educational arena and the services they need have generated mass controversy between various pedagogical circles. It is estimated that an astounding 10% of the entire school-age population (about four million children) have been diagnosed with this disorder. The disagreements among educators and counselors alike are whether ADHD is a medical or neurological disorder or simply a result of a lack of self-discipline and social skills. Therefore, there is a need for special services for these students since they exhibit numerous problems such as impulsivity, over-arousal, inattention, destructibility, off-task behaviors, disruptive behaviors, immaturity and difficulty with basic communication. Consequently, these problems lead to academic and social consequences for the school system. The purpose of this study was to examine the degree of involvement of school counselors regarding the services provided to students with ADHD. Specifically, this study was concerned with the influence of the variables academic training, age, and ethnicity on the degree of involvement of school counselors on the academic, mental health, social work, family counseling, and behavioral intervention services provided to students with ADHD. The researcher utilized a descriptive research design as the methodological framework for this study. The population consisted of 62 school counselors employed in two school districts located in the southeast region of Texas. The investigative instrument "School Counselors Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Involvement Survey" was used to gather data for this study. The parametric procedure employed in this study was the One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Moreover, if differences are found among the sample means, the researcher employed the Scheffe Multiple Comparison Test. All hypotheses were tested at the 0.05 level or better. There were 15 null hypotheses tested in this investigation. Of the 15 null hypotheses, five were found to be significant. They were hypotheses four, seven, eleven, twelve and thirteen. Regarding hypothesis 4, the variable academic training was found to have an effect on the degree of involvement of school counselors on the mental health services provided to ADHD students. Additionally, the variable academic training was found to have some influence on the degree of involvement of school counselors toward the social work (hypothesis 7) and behavioral intervention (hypothesis 13) services provided to ADHD students. Furthermore, regarding hypothesis 11, the variable age was found to have some impact on the degree of involvement of school counselors with regard to family counseling services provided to ADHD students. Finally, the variable ethnicity (hypothesis 12) was also found to have some influence on the degree of involvement of school counselors toward the family counseling services provided to ADHD students. The following implications are made for the field of counseling: (1) School counselors should be cognizant of the influence of selected demographic factors such as academic training, ethnicity, and age. By being aware of these factors, school counselors and other help professionals can gather vital information to assist them in offering the proper services to ADHD students. (2) Counselors, particularly those who are responsible for educating school counselors, should keep abreast of the current information on students with disabilities. An understanding of this information can help counseling educators incorporate more disability content into their training programs for the purpose of developing school counselors who are equipped to provide services to ADHD students. (3) Finally, school counselors and teachers should become more aware of ADHD. A better awareness of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder on the part of these two groups would go a long way in improving the services offered to students with this medical condition. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Health Services, Counseling Services, Research Design, Ethnicity, Intervention, Mental Health Programs, Mental Health, Statistical Analysis, Family Counseling, Clinical Diagnosis, Neurological Impairments, Interpersonal Competence, Self Control, Conceptual Tempo, Behavior Problems, Age, Counselor Training, Surveys, School Counselors, Counselor Attitudes
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Texas
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A