Beyond ADHD: a consideration of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and pedagogy in Australian Schools

Abstract

A psycho-medical discourse that explains behavioural dysfunction through neurological deficit has dominated debate about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, if only medical questions are asked, only medical answers will be found, resulting in more or less drug treatment. When behavioural dysfunction results in impairment within home, school and work settings, it is also important to include educational and sociological considerations of what defines these differences as deficit. This paper notes the influence of recent Australian education priorities on ADHD, traces the relationship between traditional pedagogies and ADHD diagnostic criteria, and documents research into the schooling experiences of secondary students diagnosed with ADHD. It does so to argue that current pedagogical practices around ADHD focus on integrating students rather than inclusive education. In response, the paper proposes possible pedagogical resources that might help educators move beyond asking why students are failing at school, to consider how schools may be failing an increasingly diverse generation of students.