Teachers with ADHD: From Coping with Challenges to Promoting Advantages

While inclusion of students with special needs in the education system has been encouraged by lawmakers, parents, and educators for many years, the discussions on inclusion of students with ADHD began only lately when researchers and educators understand that when children are born with ADHD they will live with it throughout their life and they will become adults with ADHD promotes the discussions. Therefore, some of the teachers in schools may also have ADHD. Hiring teachers with ADHD presents another stage of inclusion. School-principals should look at the professional skills of the teachers with ADHD rather on their challenges. But, do they really give teachers with ADHD the chance to succeed?

The main goal of this study was to better understand principals` views regarding the challenges and advantages schools face when opting to include teachers with ADHD. This understanding would provide useful information for better preparations of teachers with ADHD throughout teacher-training programs.

This study was based on qualitative approach and data was analyzed according to context-analyzes methods. Participants were 10 school-principals through deep individual interviews, and 50 administrative staff in schools who answered open questionnaires.

Unpredictably, 5 of the 10 principals could not tell if any of their teachers were with ADHD, and claimed that they rather not hire teachers with ADHD. Other principals and the majority of the administrative staff pointed that teachers with ADHD are great teachers that use useful learning strategies, they have less behavior problems in their classes, and better relations with the parents. Nevertheless, all participants pointed out the fact that teachers with ADHD have difficulties with time management.