Exploring a mother's lived-experiences of inclusion of her child with ADHD

Abstract

Inclusive education as a global practice, aims, among other things, to ensure quality mainstream education for all learners, regardless of age, gender, race, language, socio-economic status, and disability. However, learners with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are mostly excluded from mainstream classrooms by being referred to small ‘learners with special educational needs’ (LSEN) classroom settings or special schools. How individuals with ADHD, and the people within their support structure experience such a decision made on their behalf is rarely reported in the literature. In an effort to give voice to such a family unit, the aim of this study was to explore the lived-experiences of two mothers whose children were diagnosed with ADHD and who were included in a mainstream classroom. The conceptual framework used to understand this phenomenon fused the (i) medical deficit model, (ii) Bronfenbrenner’s bio-ecological systems theory and (iii) Bar-On’s emotional intelligence model. A qualitative narrative design within an interpretivist methodological paradigm was adopted. Two mothers of children diagnosed with ADHD and referred to small classroom settings, were purposefully selected. To facilitate verbal and non-verbal expressions, data-generating techniques such as the construction of memory books, followed by individual interviews were used. Interpreting the generated data sets through the theoretical lens, it became apparent that the mothers’ need for information, resources, and support was key in order for them to cope with their emotions, develop resilience and become empowered to deal with the inclusion of their children in a mainstream school. The findings revealed that the mothers experienced parenting their children with ADHD as stressful, overwhelming, and exhausting. It also emerged that the mothers experienced lack of support from the mainstream schools in terms of meeting the educational needs of their children and that they experienced the referral process to be traumatic and stressful. The mothers also reported on their challenges in terms of their views of teacher knowledge and experience of ADHD; inadequate support services; inappropriate communication from the school; an inflexible curriculum; and large classroom sizes as barriers to the inclusion of their children with ADHD. By enabling the mothers to come to expression of their lived-experiences, this study shed some light on what inclusion means to mothers of children with ADHD and how they experience it. A deeper understanding of mothers’ lived-experiences could help inform the education system on what learners with ADHD and their parents experience as barriers in mainstream schools and potentially, strengthen inclusive practices.