Understanding and Supporting Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in the Primary School Classroom: Perspectives of Children with ADHD and their Teachers.
Emily McDougal, Claire Tai, Tracy M Stewart and 2 others
PMID 35776263WHAT IT FOUND
Children with ADHD often cannot explain their own diagnosis, describing it only as trouble concentrating.
Teachers knew the symptoms but missed the cognitive reasons behind them. Both groups relied on visual aids and movement, yet children hid fidgeting strategies from staff.
Key findings
01Most children could not accurately describe ADHD, limiting their understanding to inattention, while teachers focused on core symptoms but missed cognitive difficulties.
02Children frequently used self-developed strategies like fidgeting with personal objects that teachers were unaware of or disapproved of.
03Peers served as a crucial source of information and ideas for children, who often sought help from classmates rather than teachers.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study included only ten children and six teachers, limiting generalizability. Stimulant medication use was not recorded, so its impact on classroom behavior and strategy use is unknown. Not all teachers of the participating children were interviewed, potentially biasing the teacher perspective toward those more engaged or knowledgeable about ADHD. Co-occurring conditions beyond ASD and DCD were not assessed.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the children's inability to describe their diagnosis as a lack of cognitive capacity or engagement. The study shows they lacked specific psychoeducation about their condition, not that they were unaware of their struggles.