The acceptability of interventions for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder among elementary and middle school teachers

Abstract

The acceptability of behavioral and pharmacological interventions for children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among elementary and middle school teachers was examined. Teachers (n = 147) from four suburban school districts read vignettes depicting the use of two behavioral interventions (i.e., daily report and a response cost procedure) and the use of psychostimulant medication in the treatment of ADHD and then rated the acceptability of each. Teachers' ratings of acceptability were examined as a function of knowledge of ADHD and level of teaching experience. Results demonstrated that elementary and middle school teachers each rated daily report as significantly more acceptable than response cost and stimulant medication. Also, teachers rated medication as more acceptable when used in combination with behavioral interventions than when used in isolation. Knowledge of ADHD and years of teaching experience generally were unrelated to ratings of acceptability. Cluster analyses demonstrated that teachers can be differentiated into several profile types with regard to their perceptions of treatment acceptability.