The study evaluated possible correlations between behavioral profiles, perceptions of quality of life and social support, and parenting practices adopted by 26 mothers of children and adolescents with ADHD, diagnosed by the same neurologist. The average age was 9.5 years, with participants from the 1st year of primary school to the first year of high school. Data showed that patterns characterized by negative practices are associated with a higher frequency of behavioral problems, and less indicators of adaptive functioning in caregivers. Negative parenting practices are also most often used by people with low social and family support indicators as well as quality of life. On the other hand, positive practices are associated with appropriate behaviors and improved adaptive functioning, social support and quality of life.

Introduction: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with persistent levels of inattention, hyperactivity or impulsivity. Recommendations for ADHD diagnosis involve: six or more symptoms (or five considering adults), early childhood onset, presence of symptoms in two or more contexts and presence of functional impairment. Cognitive deficits, that affect inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility and impulsiveness, are present in ADHD and affect the course of the disorder. On the other hand, intellectual skill is a factor of protection to improve the development in people with ADHD.  This article explores how traits relate to functional impairments are relevant to ADHD description in terms of behavioral expression of the cognitive profile. Method: Forty-nine adults, between 20 and 68 years old, with symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity compatible with ADHD, with more than 4 years of schooling and absence of chronic illness, took part of this study. We collected data using screening instruments (ASRS-18, MMSE, and WASI) and main instruments (FDT, BIS-11, and EPF-ADHD). Results: The results have shown that higher intellectual indexes were associated with lower frequencies of academic impairment, while higher impulsivity levels, cognitive flexibility difficulties and inhibitory control, were associated with academic and social impairment. Conclusion: The results show that cognitive deficits were associated to impairment, in different life areas, of people with ADHD, and that some factors, as intellectual abilities, may prevent impairment in ADHD.