JAASEP SPRING/SUMMER 2006 Part 7 of 7
All series
- ADHD Series
- Assessment in Special Education Series
- Autism Spectrum Disorders Series
- Bullying of Children
- Classroom Management Series
- Diagnosis of Students with Disabilities and Disorders Series
- Discipline of Students in Special Education Series
- Early Intervention Series
- Genetics in Special Education Series
- How To Series
- IEP Components
- Inclusion Series
- JAASEP – Research Based Journal in Special Education
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- Lesser Known Disorders
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- Special Education: What Do the Latest Numbers Tell Us?
- Special Educator e-Journal – Latest and Archived Issues
- The Practical Teacher
- Treatment and Support for IEP Students with Disabilities
- Working with Paraprofessionals in Your School
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) occurs in approximately three to seven percent of school-aged children according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association, Fourth Edition Text Revised (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). In the U.S., the incidence of stimulant treatment in the school-age population has increased dramatically in the past few years. In a national survey of 19 school districts, Frankenberger, Lozar, and Dallas (1990) reported that only 1.47% of the students surveyed were diagnosed with ADHD and were receiving treatment with stimulants. More recently, LeFever, Dawson and Morrow (1999) reported mean rates of ADHD and concomitant use of stimulant medication as high as 10% in particular North Carolina school districts. LeFever et al. (1999) also found that 17% of white males in grades 2 through 5 were receiving stimulant medication. Rowland, Umbach, Stallone, Naftel, Bohlig, and Sandler (2002) completed a school-based survey that revealed 10% of the 6099 children included in the study had been identified as having ADHD and were being treated with stimulant medication.
In Sweden the use of stimulants to treat ADHD is currently believed to be much lower than in the United States.
Abstract
A total of 157 general education elementary classroom teachers in the United States and 116 general education elementary classroom teachers in Sweden were sent surveys assessing how teachers in the United States and Sweden (1) view the use of stimulant medication to treat ADHD behaviors in children, (2) attribute the causes of ADHD behaviors, and (3) rate the acceptability of various interventions used to treat ADHD behaviors. Compared to Swedish teachers, U.S. teachers indicated that more children in their classrooms were diagnosed with ADHD and received stimulant medications to treat ADHD behaviors. Regarding causation, both groups believed that ADHD behaviors could have environmental and genetic causes. Teachers from both countries agreed that lacking basic academic skills could be a cause of inattention in the classroom. Although Swedish and U.S. teachers reported similar beliefs about the causation of ADHD behaviors, Swedish teachers viewed stimulant medication in a significantly more negative manner. In addition, a majority of Swedish teachers preferred an intervention package that did not include stimulant medication.