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Bull L: Parents Use of Complementary Medicine with their Children who have Learning Difficulties: The Case of the Sunflower Method.
Early Child Development and Care 172(3): 247-257, 2002.
Abstract: This paper describes in-depth interviews with parents of children who have learning difficulties who have used a complementary therapy called the Sunflower Method. In-depth interviews explored parental motivations for using complementary medicine with their children along with levels of satisfaction with the treatment received and perceived effectiveness of treatment. Parental reasons for using complementary medicine could be classified into two groups. Some parents demonstrated a wholehearted commitment to natural medicine while other parents were using complementary medicine as a last resort following disappointment with conventional interventions. Satisfaction with the treatment and perceived effectiveness were influenced by the degree of improvement that parents had witnessed in their children. However, it is unclear if parents with a pre-existing commitment to complementary medicine are more likely to regard any improvements in their child as directly attributable to the use of the Sunflower Method compared to more sceptical parents.