The inclusion of students with ADHD :  A case study from the fifth grade

Today there are many students with behavioral and developmental disorders in schools. One of these disorders is ADHD. The medical designation ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. I have chosen to research how two students with ADHD can be included in a fifth grade classroom. This research paper addresses the issues surrounding the student’s day-to-day life with a focus on the classroom. It also discusses pedagogical methods, resources, and support, as well as social relationships, and routines in relation to the students in question. In order to develop a more complete understanding of the two students and their situation, I have chosen to do a qualitative study where I’ve observed the students in their classroom for four days, and interviewed the adults that interact with the students the most on a day to day basis. The interviewees include the students’ classroom teacher, their assistant teacher, as well as the students’ mothers. I begin the paper by describing ADHD, as well as the potential causes and treatments. I also present the two predominant opinions regarding the source of ADHD that exist in Sweden today. The first is a biological perspective, which states that ADHD is passed on genetically, and the second is a sociological perspective, which states that ADHD is acquired through exposure to a range of social and environmental factors. However, I have based my research on the biological perspective because it is currently the most widely accepted, and because the biological model of explanation is the model most of the current literature is based on. As a result of my research, I have concluded that students with ADHD can have a wide range of different symptoms despite having the same diagnosis. Hellström states that teachers should be aware that all students with ADHD are unique individuals, and it is therefore difficult to prescribe a general set of guidelines to follow when working with such students. One must take each individual’s needs into consideration and decide which methods and solutions work best for each particular individual (Hellström 2007, s. 1). Hellström’s statement is consistent with the conclusions I came to after conducting my research. The classroom teacher saw the students as very different individuals and adapted their education according to their very different needs despite the fact that they have the same diagnosis