Supervisors info:
Ευδοξία Ντεροπούλου - Ντέρου, Επίκουρη Καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Εκπαίδευσης και Αγωγής στην Προσχολική Ηλικία, Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών
Summary:
The present study focusing on public pediatric center’s reports of primary school children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), aims to highlight the way that various experts which are involved in the process of diagnosis approach ADHD as well as issues related to inclusive education, evaluation process, teaching methods and interdisciplinary cooperation in the light of inclusive education.
The sample of the survey was forty eight (48) reports of public diagnostic/ evaluation agencies that were gathered with the snowball sampling method and qualitative analysis was based on the data obtained by the use of content analysis as methodological tool. Their discourse for ADHD and inclusive education in general, emerged from the contact analysis of experts’ records. The absence of a definition for ADHD has been observed as the need of its justification through its coexistence with other disorders. Apparently, medical model of disability was present by all experts’ views, who worked together to issue the reports and it was emphasized through the discourse on child’s deficits, its inability, the medicalization of its weakness, its rehabilitation and treatment. ADHD is medically approached and refers to “personal tragedy” that needs to be confronted through therapeutic approaches by experts. Inclusive education, takes place in a rehabilitation framework based on individualized teaching rather than on pupils’ abilities, while methods of cooperative learning exist in fewer educational suggestions on experts’ discourse. At the same time, the evaluation process of ADHD is interesting, as issues have been arisen related to ADHD assessment, the absence of reference, relevant methodological tools, the establishment of the interdisciplinary committee and contradictions in experts’ discourse.
Keywords:
Report, ADHD, disability, inclusive education, experts