"There Is Something About Julia": Symptoms, Categories, and the Process of Invoking Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in the Swedish School: A Case Study

Abstract

The problem of how to handle diversity is a prominent feature of modern schooling. Historical evidence indicates that the explanations of student problems of accommodating to schooling have varied. At present, neuropsychiatric diagnoses such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are widely used as interpretations of what constitutes the background of school difficulties. The aim of this article is to report findings from an empirical study of how and when such categories are introduced in practice. The data have been generated by documenting pupil welfare team meetings (PWTM) during 1 year. The results show that in the context of the PWTM, the ADHD diagnosis is invoked to account for a wide range of problems that are described in contradictory terms by the staff. The category serves as an element in an accounting practice that focuses on the child, and his or her inner characteristics, rather than, for instance, the circumstances, including the pedagogical challenges experienced leading up to the problems observed. It is argued that the category serves as a rhetorical device that creates a common understanding of school difficulties for school staff, parents, and other actors, and that simultaneously transforms multifaceted problems into organic dysfunctions. Key words: institutional discourse, education, communication, learning disabilities, categorization, identity