Abstract
ABSTRACTA medical approach towards behavioural problems could make professionals without a medical background, like teachers and other educational professionals feel inapt. In this article, we raise six scientifically grounded considerations regarding ADHD, currently the most prevalent childhood psychiatric diagnosis. These “need to knows” show just how misguided and potentially stigmatizing current conceptualizations of unruly behaviour have become. Some examples are given of how teachers are misinformed, and alternative ways of reporting about neuropsychological research are suggested. A reinvigorated conceptual understanding of ADHD could help educational institutions to avoid the expensive outsourcing of behavioural problems that could also—and justifiably better—be framed as part of education’s primary mission of professionalized socialization.
Highlights
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the syndromes defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
In 2011, nearly one in five high school boys had been diagnosed with ADHD and about 13.3% of all 11-year-old boys were medicated for ADHD (Visser et al, 2014)
These topics are selected from a wide array of issues surrounding ADHD because we believe they are the most effective in revealing the catch-all (Singh, 2011) nature of the ADHD classification, and/or the most exemplary of the adverse effects related to the misunderstandings regarding ADHD
Summary
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the syndromes defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). In the DSM-5 (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) it is described as a neuro-developmental disorder with a persistent behavioural pattern of severe inattention and/or hyperactivity/impulsivity. ADHD is currently the most prevalent parentreported diagnosis among children in the USA (Visser et al, 2014). Teachers and other school personnel are often the first to suggest the diagnosis of ADHD in a child (Phillips, 2006; Sax & Kautz, 2003). We present six scientifically grounded “need to knows” that unravel misconceptions about ADHD. These topics are selected from a wide array of issues surrounding ADHD because we believe they are the most effective in revealing the catch-all (Singh, 2011) nature of the ADHD classification, and/or the most exemplary of the adverse effects related to the misunderstandings regarding ADHD. Educational professionals, but certainly to others such as policy makers who decide on society’s investments in schools
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