CONCLUSIONS FROM THE LITERATURE STUDY

After a comprehensive literature survey, the following themes were highlighted:

 The concept of ADHD

 ADHD in the educational context

 Management of ADHD in schools

5.4.1 The concept of ADHD

Attention deficit disorder (ADHD) is a term widely used to diagnose individuals who display a wide range of symptoms, such as an inability to concentrate, anger outbursts, emotional instability, inability to complete a task and impulsivity. Initially ADHD was referred to only as ADD (excluding the H which indicates “hyperactivity”), but researchers have identified different types or categories of “attention deficiency” (Section 2.3).

The literature study confirmed that there are three types of ADHD (Section 2.3). After discussing the characteristics and different types of ADHD in Section 2.3, I concluded that inattention and impulse control seem to be more dominant factors than hyperactivity.

Research further confirmed my suspicions that ADHD has no single, specific cause (Section 2.4), but that various factors play a contributing role. The medical factors, as discussed in Section 2.4.1, emphasised the role played by genetics, neurology and bio-chemistry as potentially causative factors associated with ADHD. Based on the information offered in Section 2.4.2, I concluded that environmental factors may contribute to the aggravation of ADHD symptoms. The educational factors (Section 2.4.3) are based on the transactional model and I found that should the teacher not meet the learner’s needs, there will not be proper brain stimulation which may hamper the development of the learner.

Section 2.5 confirmed that ADHD affects 3-5 % of diagnosed children in South Africa, which boils down to approximately 1 child in every classroom. ADHD is usually diagnosed in learners of school-going age across cultures and geographical regions. The signs or symptoms normally appear before the age of 7 and boys are more prone to the condition.

In addition, the treatment of ADHD (Section 2.6) emphasised that serious consequences are imminent for ADHD learners who do not receive adequate treatment.

5.4.2 ADHD in the educational context

A typical classroom setting requires the learner to sit still, listen to the teacher, pay attention, follow instructions and concentrate on tasks (Section 2.7.1). It is highly probable that foundation phase learners experience disappointment each time they fail to do so.

Section 2.7.1 confirmed the seriousness of ADHD - sufferers find it difficult to cope in the classroom (Section 2.7.1.2) and their academic development is compromised (Section 2.7.1.3). There are, however, some positive traits associated with ADHD and it is crucial that teachers are familiar with them. ADHD learners may excel in some areas which could provide the teacher with a window of opportunity to motivate and connect with the learner (Section 2.7.1.5). Section 2.7.2 highlighted the importance of appropriate knowledge of the disorder for the effective addressing of symptoms. After discussing knowledge levels of teachers (Section 2.7.2.2) as well as teacher training (Section 2.7.2.1), I concluded that there is a substantial lack of knowledge about the management of ADHD learners amongst South African teachers. In addition, inclusive education is becoming a reality in South Africa and a growing number of learners display ADHD related behaviour. Teachers face numerous challenges and frustrations which may cause them to experience negative emotions (Section 2.7.2.3) towards these learners and to inadvertently discriminate against them. Teachers need to adapt their classroom management strategies in order to support the academic development of these learners (Section 2.7.2.4.). Successful programmes for learners with ADHD should integrate academic instruction, behavioural interventions and classroom accommodations.

5.4.3 Management of ADHD in schools

In Section 2.9.2 it was confirmed that numerous policies providing strategies for the management of ADHD in the classroom, are available internationally. In some countries learners diagnosed with ADHD qualify for special education services, which may include classroom accommodations and modifications. The South African Department of Education introduced the Education White Paper 6 in 2001 (Section 2.9.1) which entails an action plan aimed at enabling all learners with disabilities to learn and develop to their full potential. To date little has been done to implement this inclusive education plan, particularly so with regard to learners suffering from ADHD. ADHD was only included as a learning barrier in the National Education Policy Act No. 27 of 1996 as an amendment in 2014. The question remains whether South African teachers will be trained in implementing these accommodations for ADHD learners.

In order to better understand the condition, six models of ADHD were studied (Section 2.10). According to the Conceptual model (Section 2.10.1) and the Medical model (Section 2.10.6) maladjustment or mental illness are responsible for the negative behaviour in ADHD children, and it is proposed that they be referred to health agencies for treatment and rehabilitation (Section 2.10.6). This view is inconsistent with the Ecological model (Section 3.2.5) which proposes that there are levels of interacting systems resulting in change, growth and development of the individual. In the field of inclusive education, this model has much relevance in emphasising the interaction between the learner’s development and the systems operating within his/her social context. Similarly, the Cognitive Energetic model (Section 2.10.4) propagates that the ADHD learner may experience deficits in areas such as activation and effort. This seemingly stems from their psycho-physiologically under-arousal in the classroom. These two models can be useful in understanding classrooms, schools, learners and families by viewing them as multi-level interrelated systems.

After studying both the Brown Model of ADHD (Section 2.10.3) and Barkley’s Model of ADHD (Section 2.10.2) it emerged that the ADHD learner typically lacks internal motivation and consequently struggles to sustain goal-directed behaviour. These models assert that certain executive functions in ADHD learners’, for example working memory, are malfunctioning. As a teacher and mother of an ADHD child, I believe that these two models describe the condition, particularly the ADHD child’s behaviour, most accurately and may promote a better understanding amongst teachers and help them to foster empathy towards these learners.