Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Thesis Format

Monograph

Degree

Master of Arts

Program

Education

Supervisor

King, Colin

2nd Supervisor

Friesen, Deanna

Co-Supervisor

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate caregiver perceptions of the role of psychoeducational reports in facilitating positive educational and psychosocial outcomes for children identified with learning disabilities (LD) or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Participants were twenty parents of children who previously received private psychoeducational assessments from a university-based teaching clinic in Southwestern Ontario. Data on children’s educational experiences and parents' concerns for their children’s functioning were collected through an online mixed-methods questionnaire. Findings suggested that psychoeducational reports facilitated a widespread increase in educational services and significantly addressed parent worries about children’s futures and autonomous, academic, and emotional functioning. However, the findings also revealed that some parents perceived their children’s educational services as inadequate for promoting successful outcomes. Taken together, the findings point to a need for further outcome data and enhancing collaboration between parents, clinicians, and educators to maximize the benefits that psychoeducational reports can have for children with LD and ADHD.

Summary for Lay Audience

For children with LD and ADHD, meeting the required goals of their academic coursework can be especially difficult. These children might also experience more social and behavioural challenges, especially when their support doesn't align with their needs. Repeatedly failing to meet expectations can hurt children’s self-esteem, potentially leading to disengagement from learning. However, these children have the potential to succeed in school with appropriate educational support. This involves setting manageable expectations that meet learning needs and maximize children’s capabilities. Research shows that receiving adequate support in a timely manner results in lower school dropout rates, better post-secondary and career prospects, more stable relationships, and fewer emotional problems. Psychologists can use psychoeducational assessments to identify children’s unique strengths and needs. Their findings are documented in a psychoeducational report, which can be shared with parents and teachers and includes recommendations for how to best support children. Although psychoeducational reports are assumed to help children access support, few studies have investigated whether these reports indeed result in improved children’s outcomes.

The aim of the current research was to investigate parents’ perspectives on how useful psychoeducational reports were for accessing appropriate support for their children and addressing concerns around academic, behavioural, social, and emotional development. The methodology involved a survey with twenty parents or caregivers whose children had received psychoeducational assessments at a university clinic in Southwestern Ontario. The results revealed a marked increase in educational services provided to children after their psychoeducational assessments. Parents’ concerns for their children’s futures, independence, and academic and emotional development were significantly reduced after their children’s assessments. However, the results did not reveal meaningful changes in parents’ concerns for their children’s social or behavioural development. Some parents also perceived their children’s support as inadequate.

Overall, the results suggested that psychoeducational reports have an important role to play in supporting children with LD and ADHD. However, the findings also highlighted a need for more consistent implementation of these tools in school settings, raising implications for how educators, caregivers, and clinicians can better collaborate to fully realize the benefits that psychoeducational reports can have on children’s educational experiences and development.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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