Engaging students with ADHD in mainstream education : lessons from children, parents and teachers

Abstract

The move towards inclusive education in the UK (DfEE 1997; DfEE 2004a), and more recently integrated working (DfES 2003), has resulted in the development of a national framework calling for a change to the way organizations meet the needs of children. The Children Act (DfEE 2004b) provides the legal framework to legislate for these changes at national and local levels, and local service providers are required to work in partnership to provide a coordinated and coherent system of support aligned to the child’s evolving needs. This paper reports on empirical findings taken from interviews with children with ADHD, their teachers and parents, to highlight what they perceive to be effective in providing support for the children in their learning environment. Examples are drawn from environmental, personal, organizational and structural factors that are believed to influence the children’s behaviour. Suggestions are made over areas that need to be considered when setting up integrated services and how these can influence effective support for children.