"They are just as different as the rest of us" - a focus group study of primary teachers' perceptions of children with ADHD who struggle socially.

Abstract

Purpose: Difficulties in peer interactions are common among children with ADHD and associated with severe consequences. Prevailing interventions have been criticized for not accounting for the significance of context and for limited effect on important social outcomes. Given the importance of the school environment and the teacher for children's social development, we wanted to explore how teachers perceive their own role and responsibilities when children are struggling socially, and how they intervene in their daily practice.

Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews in five focus groups of primary school teachers in Bergen, Norway and analysed the data through reflexive thematic analysis.

Results: We discerned two overarching themes, each with several subthemes. The first theme, "Monitoring and Attending to Individual Needs in a Context", represents teachers' perceptions of their role and responsibilities. The second theme, "Tailoring Interventions Through Continuous Assessments", represents the teachers' strive to fulfil this role in their everyday practice.

Conclusion: Our findings reflect a complex, contextual understanding of social difficulties, acknowledging the uniqueness of each child, regardless of diagnosis. The teachers' practice was characterized by continuous tailoring to accommodate the specific, contextualized needs of each child, both "behind the scenes" and trough participating in children's everyday social interactions.