Vad är ADHD, i själva verket? En intervjustudie om pedagogers bemötande av barn med oroande beteende

Abstract

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has increased tremendously during the last decade. The diagnosis is therefore now, the most common childhood mental health disorder. With a very clear increase, the diagnosis has not only become a large part of the school, but also in the preschool. Although adhd is a very prevalent disorder with an onset in the preschool years, there is not many studies done, that has investigated preschool teachers’ and special educators’ knowledge of adhd in a Swedish context. Therefore, the overall aim of this study is to interpret and understand how preschool teachers and special educators say that they work with the daily support of children with a worrying behavior, but also how the collaboration takes place between the professions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four preschool teachers and one special educator. In addition, we also interviewed a preschool teacher with an education as a special educator. The data was analyzed by using a phenomenological method. The result shows a significant role in responding to the child with a worrying behavior in a customized approach. On the other hand, such an adapted response requires efforts that are difficult to access. Preschool teachers say that the collaboration with the specialist pedagogue helps them get accurate information and in the meeting with the child with adhd, a good tolerance and understanding of a child who needs to be met with a greater understanding. The results are discussed to give suggestions for further research.