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Daytime activity, in terms of engagement in an occupation or education, is highly important for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), regardless of their level of functioning. In this nationwide survey, the parents of young adults diagnosed with ASD in childhood (n = 1266) provided information about the current daytime activity of their child, as well as behavioral characteristics, comorbidity, history of schooling during primary and secondary school, and availability of support. The young adults without a regular daytime activity constituted approximately one-fifth of the sample and had more behavioral difficulties and comorbidities than young adults with a daytime activity. Intellectual disability, part-time job, history of schooling, including type of school, and availability of support were found to be associated with daytime activity.

Purpose: The primary aim of this study was to estimate the risk of parental separation associated with having a child with ADHD or ASD when controlling for a large range of known risk factors for parental separation using Danish registries., Methods: The study included all children with ADHD or ASD born between 1990 and 1998 in Denmark and a sex and age matched random sample of children from the background population. We followed these children and their parents from birth until the child's 25th birthday, parental separation or December 31, 2015, whichever came first. Data were analyzed using Cox Proportional Hazard models by estimating hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals. Models were adjusted for a range of child, parental, and family variables., Results: The study included the parents of 12,916 children with ADHD, 7496 children with ASD and 18,423 controls. The study found that, even after controlling for a range of potential risk factors, having a child with either ADHD (HR = 1.8, 95% CI 1.6-2.0) or ASD (HR = 1.2, 95% CI 1.1-1.3) significantly increased parents' risk of separating compared with non-affected families. Other factors associated with parental separation were parental imprisonment, parental psychopathology, low parental education level, low household income and living in a larger city., Conclusion: Parents of children diagnosed with ADHD or ASD were more likely to separate than control parents. It is important to improve our knowledge about the particular characteristics of families at risk of separating to prevent distress for the families and their child.

Aim: The aim of this qualitative study was to explore parental experiences of how healthcare practices and healthcare professionals in hospital clinics in Denmark influence everyday life of parents with a child with ADHD., Design and Methods: The methodology was focused ethnography. Participant observation and interviews were used as the primary data collection methods. Fifteen families of children with ADHD were included from somatic and psychiatric hospital clinics., Results: Three main themes emerged from the experiences of the families: When the house of cards collapses in everyday life, Treading water before and after receiving the ADHD diagnosis, and Healthcare as a significant lifeline., Conclusions: Accessibility to healthcare, trusting relationships and healthcare professionals recognizing how ADHD pervades all aspects of everyday life appear to be important factors in providing a lifeline for parents to help them regain confidence and control in disruptive phases. The parents depend on help from healthcare professionals and family-centred care to manage the complex challenges in everyday life., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aim: This systematic review is aimed to identify and synthesize the best available evidence on parenting experiences of living with a child with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, including their experiences of healthcare and other services., Methods: A meta-synthesis was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines. Qualitative research articles were considered for inclusion in the review and the meta-aggregative approach to synthesizing qualitative evidence from JBI was followed. An extensive search for relevant literature was undertaken in scientific databases. Data were extracted from the included research articles, and qualitative research findings were pooled using the Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument. This involved categorization of findings on the basis of similarity of meaning and aggregation of these categories to produce a comprehensive set of synthesized findings., Results: A total of 21 research articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. The review process resulted in 129 study findings that were aggregated into 15 categories. The categories generated six synthesized findings: an emotional roller coaster between hope and hopelessness; mothers as advocates in a battlefield within the system and family; parental experiences in a crossfire of blame, self-blame, and stigmatization; shuttling between supportive and nonsupportive services and professionals; routines, structures and strategies within everyday life; and despite multiple challenges, it is not all bad., Conclusion: The findings illustrate the complexity of parental experiences that are influenced by guilt, hope, blame, stigmatization, exhaustion, reconciliation, and professional collaboration. The findings address the impact that attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder has on everyday family life, and how parents seem to adapt to their life situation in the process of accepting their child's disorder.