Out of Sight, Out of Mind/Out of Mind, out of Site: udSchooling and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

摘要

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a diagnostic term now indelibly scored on the public psyche. It is one of the most widely researched topics in the world today. In some quarters, a diagnosis of "ADHD" is regarded with derision. In others, it can be a god-send. It appears the jury is still out with regards to the "truth" of ADHD. As such, the rapid increase in diagnosis over the past fifteen years, coupled with an exponential rise in the prescription of restricted class psychopharmaceuticals has stirred virulent debate. Provoking the most interest, it seems, are questions regarding causality. Typically, these revolve around possible antecedents for "disorderly" behaviour – bad food, bad tv and bad parents. Very seldom is the institution of schooling ever in the line of sight. This paper draws on doctoral research that attempts to investigate this gap by questioning what might be happening in schools how this may be contributing to the definition, recognition and classification of particular children as a particular kind of "disorderly".