The antithesis of inclusion? The emergence and functioning of ADHD special education classes in the Swedish school system

Abstract

The neuropsychiatric paradigm has substantial impact on schools. The increase in the number of pupils being diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is an expression of the medicalization of deviance. There is also an increase in educational classes specially designed to meet the needs of children with ADHD. This is contrary to the notion of inclusion and in conflict with the Swedish school law. Thus, it is important to obtain knowledge about Swedish ADHD classes.A questionnaire was sent to all Swedish municipalities (290, response rate 76%) regarding schooling for pupils with ADHD. As many as 40 Swedish municipalities have classes specifically designed for pupils with ADHD.Although the classes are said to be specifically designed for ADHD problems, they are not properly evaluated. Municipalities with ADHD classes also exhibit ambivalence towards these classes. The emergence, prevalence, and functioning of the ADHD classes is discussed in light of the notion of inclusive education.

Has schooling of ADHD students reached a crossroads?

“…In Sweden, a recent national-survey study revealed the existence of classes specifically designed for students with ADHD (Malmqvist and Nilholm 2016), which is contrary to the notion of inclusion and to national policy (Hjorne and Evaldsson 2015). Little is known about why these ADHD classes have been established in some municipalities and not in others.…”

“…Swedish municipalities (There are 290 municipalities ranging from 2,400 to 864,000 inhabitants in 2011, Statistics Sweden 2012) have a certain degree of freedom in interpreting state-governed policy, but they must follow educational legislation. The aforementioned nationwide-survey study sent to all municipalities (234/308, response rate 76%) is an important backdrop to the present study (Malmqvist and Nilholm 2016). The survey revealed that as many as 40 municipalities (17%) had classes specifically designed for students with ADHD.…”

“…The survey (Malmqvist and Nilholm 2016) clearly showed that there are conditions other than municipality size that are of substantial importance for the presence of ADHD classes. This may indicate that the influence of neuropsychiatry varies across municipalities, which is in agreement with findings revealing very large regional differences in the prevalence of ADHD diagnoses and especially large differences between municipalities.…”

Special Education in the Context of Educational Shifts towards Inclusion

“…Even though mainstream schools are open for children with disabilities, special classes are still being formed, e.g. ADHD special education classes in the Swedish school system (Malmqvist, Nilholm, 2016) or special classes for pupils with ASD in Ireland (McCoy et al, 2014).…”

The advantages of an ADHD classification from the perspective of teachers

“…ADHD behaviour tends to be seen as the inverse of successful behaviour in schools (Hinshaw and Scheffler 2014). According to Malmqvist and Nilholm (2016), children showing 'disorderly' attributes that are associated with ADHD challenge schools and teachers because their behaviour may, for instance, disrupt classroom peace and order. Schools and teachers generally play an important role in initiating the first steps towards a childhood disorder classification (Sax and Kautz 2003;Langley et al 2010;Russell, Moore, and Ford 2016;Moore et al 2017).…”