A focus group of adolescents with ADHD: Perceptions of their social, emotional and academic lives in both public and independent schools
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Date
2008-01
Authors
Pugsley, Meaghan Howe
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Abstract
A focus group with five adolescents from an independent school for students
with learning disabilities and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD),
Special Needs Private School, was conducted to gain a better understanding of the
social, emotional and academic lives of adolescents with ADHD. All participants had
been diagnosed with ADHD for at least four years and had been attending the Special
Needs Private School on average for two years and seven months. Themes discussed
were bullying, feeling different, making friends, school success and knowledge of
ADHD. The participants experienced bullying at their past public schools and current
school. They discussed how they were bullied physically, verbally and emotionally
and how some of them retaliated against their bullies. The participants discussed how
they felt different than their peers and how others perceived them as à ¢ weirdà ¢ and this
resulted in difficulties with making and keeping friends. Participants discussed
having an easier time with the academic aspects of school now that they attend the
Special Needs Private School. Furthermore, participants lacked knowledge of their
diagnosis of ADHD. Transcripts were then interpreted using Stromà ¢ s (1980) basic
human goals: rootedness, proactive and identity. In general, participants discussed
having many of the same challenges that all adolescents encounter.
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Keywords
Public opinion , ADD , Nova Scotia , Adolescence , ADHD , Attitudes , Attention deficit/hyper-activity disorder , Children , Attention deficit disorder