This study looked at how much 29 Canadian children with ADHD and their parents knew about the condition. The children were 8 to 12 years old, with an average age of about 10 (mean 10.38). Most of the parents were mothers. Parents filled out a knowledge survey called the KADDS, and the children filled out their own knowledge and opinions scale.
Parents knew the most about ADHD symptoms, getting about 83% of those answers right (mean 82.76%). They knew less about treatment (mean 64.08%). They knew the least about general information (mean 50.11%). Across all topics, parents got about 62% of answers right (mean 62.36%). The gap between what they knew about symptoms and what they knew about general information was large.
The children scored fairly well overall, getting about 67% of answers right (mean 66.53%). Their scores varied a lot, ranging from 5% to 92% correct. The children also said they felt positive about getting help from their parents and teachers.
The researchers noted some limits. All the data came from what people reported about themselves, which can be biased. The sample was small, and little information was collected about other conditions or ADHD type.
Source: Climie E, Henley L. Canadian parents and children’s knowledge of ADHD. Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies (2018). doi:10.1080/17450128.2018.1484975