The role of the family in the assessment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

The family plays an essential and primary role in the assessment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children. This article seeks to provide the clinician with an understanding of the families of children with ADHD and how the functioning of the family might impact the outcome of assessment. It does so by discussing the role of the family in the assessment process within the context of current standards of practice, examining the characteristics and functioning of families of children with ADHD, and reviewing the issues in the use of parents and children as informants in the assessment of ADHD. With the latter, the factors which influence parent report, the reliability of parents and children as informants, and the correspondence of parents, children, and other informants are discussed.