ADHD: a critical update for educational professionals

Abstract

A 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.

The advantages of an ADHD classification from the perspective of teachers

“…As in scientific debate (Stolzer 2009;Kildea, Wright, and Davies 2011;Timimi 2015;te Meerman et al 2017), the teaching professionas here captured in 30 interviewsis split about ADHD and reflects divergent and sometimes contrary views on the practical value of classification. Given their various and often mixed or ambivalent, case by casebased understandings, it seems inadvisable to overly categorically sort or group the respondents in some kind of orderly classification.…”

“…Hoogman, Bralten, and Hibar et al 2017). Reification can quickly turn into entirely circular reasoning, whereby an 'underlying' supposed brain defect is attributed as cause ('explanation') for the behaviour that is called 'ADHD' (te Meerman et al 2017). This reifying way of reasoning is reflected in the reasoning of a substantial group of teachers and leads to the idea that describing the behaviour as ADHD directly leads to an explanation of that behaviour (Batstra and Thoutenhoofd 2012;Batstra, Nieweg, and Hadders-Algra 2014).…”

“…The consequence of this error of reification is that the pedagogical search for reasons behind the behaviour is arrested, with solutions available in the context of schoolingthe attempt to read, interpret and understand child behaviour and respond pedagogically to problems that teachers experience while teachingbeing henceforth left out of the picture (te Meerman et al 2017). The implication of this study for professional practice is therefore that teachers should be informed that ADHD classification does not explain the behavioural problems they encounter while teaching so that the search for an explanation remains as a pedagogical task.…”

A biased ADHD discourse ignores human uniqueness

“…For example in special education textbooks children diagnosed with ADHD are presented as dysfunctional and the need for alternative perspectives is acknowledged (Freedman, 2016). Meerman, Batstra, Grietens, and Frances (2017) contribute an article that provides alternatives that encourage educational institutions and individual teachers to rely on their professional skills and facilities, and to be cautious about explaining challenging behaviors as signs of pathology. The teachers could instead reflect on how children are expected to behave.…”

Toward a Militant Pedagogy in the Name of Love: On Psychiatrization of Indifference, Neurobehaviorism and the Diagnosis of ADHD—A Philosophical Intervention

“…This, in turn, has led to an increasing number of scholars asking parents and practitioners within childcare and education to reconsider the way they approach this controversial topic. And because ADHD is not a medical diagnosis per se (Furman 2008;Meerman et al 2017), there is an increased need for a relational approach regarding this topic (e.g. Nilsson Sjöberg 2017;Evaldsson 2014;Punzi 2016, 2017;Freeman and Honkasilta 2017;Graham 2010;Honkasilta 2016;Timimi 2017).…”