Inclusion and Mainstreaming of Children with ADHD - Essay Example

Inclusion and Mainstreaming of Children with ADHD: The Best Option A dissertation proposal Submitted by: Working The proposed for the dissertation title is as follows: "Inclusion and Mainstreaming of Children with ADHD: The Best Option" Abstract This dissertation looks at the issue of whether the option of inclusion and mainstreaming is best for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Through a cross-sectional survey of the population of a school that offered education courses for special children, the views of respondents on various modes of intervention for students with ADHD were gathered to determine the effects of inclusion and mainstreaming on children, both with and without ADHD, and on children. The study also determined the level of preparation of teachers and their ability to cope with the challenges of inclusion and mainstreaming. The results would show whether inclusion would be the best option or whether alternative intervention strategies are available for children with ADHD. The paper begins with an over-all discussion of ADHD and includes a review of the latest literature on the topic with an assessment of past empirical findings on the research topic under investigation. Introduction This dissertation proposal indicates the initial plans for the completion of the full dissertation and consists of three parts. Part 1 provides a background, relevance, literature review, and the aims and objectives of the dissertation. Part 2 identifies the factors associated with how the researcher intends to approach this study, explaining methods of data collection and data analysis to be adopted. Part 3 enumerates the resources required to conduct the study, a preliminary bibliography, and a timeline of activities involved in the research. Part 1: Background, Aims, and Review of Literature Background and Relevance of the Study Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a condition characterized by hyperactivity, impulsiveness, and inattention that becomes apparent in some children in the pre-school and early school years. The general symptom is the inability to control behaviour and/or to pay attention. Research findings (Greenberg & Horn, 1991) estimated that in some countries like the United States, 3 to 5 percent of children have this condition, which means that in a normal classroom of 25 to 30 children, there would be at least one with ADHD. Although first described by Hoffman in 1845, Still (1902) was the first to describe the condition in a scientific paper and hypothesised the cause to be a genetic dysfunction and not poor child-rearing. Garber, Garber, & Spizman (1990) were the first to use the term ADHD for the condition. Hunsucker (1988) was the first to argue that if persons with ADHD were treated early, there would be a reduction in the juvenile and adult crime rates, school drop-out rates, and alcohol and drug abuse. ADHD is a treatable condition the sooner it is diagnosed and if children with ADHD are provided with special education. This is why there has been an increase through the years in the scientific literature on the topic, more specifically on the issue of mainstreaming and inclusion of children undergoing special education. Mainstreaming is the original term that describes placing children with disabilities in classrooms with non-handicapped children. In the early stages, special education children were placed in special classes and would join regular classroom settings during extra classes such as music and art. This term has evolved into "inclusion" which tries to place special education and disabled children in regular education classes as often as possible (York et al., 1992; Adamson et al., 1990; Cook & Friend, 1992; Conn, 1992; CEC, 1993; Friend & Cook, 1992; Giangreco et al., 1993). These papers argued for the main reasons behind the interest on this issue that have to do with the fact that the classroom and school environments provide an effective factor for early diagnosis, the implementation of treatment alternatives, the investigation and correction of ADHD-related behavioural practices and increased awareness of the condition and its characteristics that are useful for both teachers and other students without ADHD. For these reasons, what would be of interest for this research study are those that concern the fields of special education, inclusion and mainstreaming, behaviour modification, and the interaction between children with and without ADHD. Research Aims and Objectives The aim of the research study is to determine if mainstreaming and inclusion of children with ADHD is the best option or if alternative options are available for parents and schools that would allow special children to achieve their maximum potential. The objectives that would allow the aim of the research study to be achieved are the following: (1) To conduct semi-structured surveys involving the following target respondents: a. Special education teachers handling students with ADHD b. General education teachers in mainstreamed classes c. Parents of children with ADHD d. Parents of children without ADHD but whose children attend classes with children with ADHD e. Classmates of children with ADHD (2) To answer the following research questions to be adapted in the most appropriate manner according to the nature of the respondent (teacher, parent, or schoolmate): a. How effective is mainstreaming in dealing with ADHD students b. How prepared are teachers in dealing with ADHD students c. What other alternatives are they aware of or have been tried to deal with ADHD students (3) To analyse and evaluate the data collected to find the answer(s) to the research aim as to whether mainstreaming is the best option, or if there are better alternatives, and the different conditions for the effectiveness of these alternatives. Brief Review of Literature The material from the NIMH (2005) of the U.S. is a detailed 49-page booklet that describes the symptoms, causes, and treatments, with information on getting help and coping with ADHD. Together with NIMH (2004), which summarises how ADHD could be diagnosed in children, these two references are a good starting point that educates readers on the condition. Aside from these two booklets, four recent articles on the research topic are worth considering in greater detail. Kern et al. (2007) compared the use of multi-component intervention (MCI) with a parent education (PE) programme using a group of 135 pre-schoolers (ages 3 to 5) diagnosed with ADHD and their parents. Results were mixed, as either intervention proved effective in some and ineffective in others. The authors recommended that further studies be done to find the best option. Havey (2007) pointed out that whilst Dutch and US teachers differ in the incidence and causes of ADHD (the Dutch think it is due to biochemistry, whilst US teachers were more likely to believe in a combination of environmental and biochemical factors), both agreed that a combination of medical and behavioural interventions was the most effective treatment. Another difference was that US teachers found class size as a significant factor, whilst the Dutch teachers did not. Nowacek & Mamlin (2007) investigated the understanding by general education teachers of the characteristics of students with ADHD and what academic and behavioural modifications they implemented for these learners. They found that: (a) teachers provided few modifications for individuals with ADHD and (b) they provided idiosyncratic, non-systematic modifications. A second multiple case study revealed that a variety of modifications were chosen with the developmental level of their students in mind and the knowledge of the resources available, rather than the needs of individual students. Whilst most teachers knew key characteristics of students with ADHD, few modifications were made. Tymms & Merrell (2006) studied the impact of screening (making teachers aware as to who amongst their pupils have ADHD) and/or advise (training programmes) in handling students with ADHD behaviour, with one group receiving evidence-based advice with a supporting conference, and another group receiving advice only. The second group showed no improvement, whilst the first group did show remarkable improvement for the whole class but not for the pupils with ADHD characteristics. They also argued that the best option would be for special education teachers to work together with general education teachers who receive advice and screening. Other reference materials would be included as the research study goes along. Part 2: Methodology of Research, Data Collection and Analysis Theoretical Research Frameworks Positivism recognizes "working with an observable social reality and that the end product of such research can be law-like generalisations similar to those produced by the physical and natural scientists" (Remenyi et al., 1998, cited in Saunders et al., 2003, p.83). Interpretivism approach argues that there is far too much, ever changing complexity to be defined by "laws" (Saunders et al., 2003, p.84). The dissertation will consider both philosophies since "the practical reality is that research rarely falls neatly into only one philosophical domain" (Saunders et al., 2003, p. 85) as well as the combination of both is common in research. Inductive reasoning is when data is collected first and then theories developed as a result of the data analysis. This associates mostly with interpretivism. Deductive reasoning is the development of a theory and hypothesis (or hypotheses) and design of a research strategy to test the hypothesis" (Saunders et al., 2003, p.85). This mainly associates with positivism. The dissertation will consider both processes of reasoning. Exploratory Studies Exploratory studies are a valuable means of finding out what is happening; to seek new insights; to ask questions and to assess phenomena in a new light (Robson, 2002, cited in Saunders et al., 2003, p.96) and will be considered for the purpose of this study. This is particularly useful as the researcher wishes to clarify the understanding of a problem, namely the best option for intervention with children exhibiting conditions of ADHD. There are also three basic types of questions that a research project can address: causal (to determine whether a variable causes or affects another), relational (to look at the relationships between two or more variables), or descriptive (to describe what is going on or what exists). This dissertation will therefore be an exploratory study to find out whether mainstreaming and inclusion are the best options for schooling children with ADHD. Methods of Data Collection Having provided a theoretical framework upon which this dissertation is based to guide the research investigation, two forms of data will be gathered: (1) Primary research data in the form of semi-structured survey results from various respondents - teachers, parents, and students; and (2) Secondary research data in the form of reference literature on the research topic. Methods of Data Analysis The data collected would be analysed according to the researcher's best knowledge, "whatever the nature of the data, the task of interpretation falls squarely on the shoulders of the researcher" (Moser, 1971 cited in Chisnall, 2001, p.421). The data sets would be subject to consistent forms of data analysis to assess the validity of the findings and find answers to the research questions asked in this study. Part 3: Potential Problems, Resources, Timetable, and Bibliography Potential Problems The main problem foreseen is the availability of survey respondents, their awareness of ADHD issues, and their collective willingness to cooperate in the study. Resources The researcher will use the resources available at the library and access websites and on-line documents from various locations. The survey would be conducted in the researcher's school. Timetable The proposed timetable is as follows: Week 1-2 Dissertation proposal submission and approval of proposal Weeks 1-4 Conduct of research Weeks 5-8 Writing and submission of the dissertation Weeks 9-11 Revision and finalisation of draft Week 12 Final draft submission Bibliography Adamson, D.R., Matthews, P. & Schuller, J. (1990) Five ways to bridge the resource room to regular classroom gap. Teaching Exceptional Children, 22 (2), p. 74-77. CEC/Council for Exceptional Children (1993) CEC policy on inclusive schools and community settings. Reston, VA: The Council for Exceptional Children. Chisnall, P. (2001) Marketing research (6th Ed). London: McGraw-Hill. Conn, M. (1992) How four communities tackle mainstreaming. The School Administrator, 2, p. 22-24. Cook, L. & Friend, M. (1992) Interactions: Collaboration skills for school professionals. White Plains, NY: Longman Publishing. Friend, M. & Cook, L. (1992) The new mainstreaming: How it really works. Instructor, 101 (7), p. 30-36. Garber, S.W., Garber, M.D. & Spizman, R.F. (1990) If your child is hyperactive, inattentive, impulsive, distractiblehelping the ADD (attention deficit disorder)/hyperactive child. New York: Villard Books. Giangreco, M.F., Chigee, J.C. & Iverson, V.S. (1993) Choosing options and accommodations for children: A guide to planning inclusive education. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes. Greenberg, G.S. & Horn, W.F. (1991) Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: Questions and answers for parents. Champaign, IL: Research Press. Havey, J.M. (2007) A comparison of Dutch and U.S. teachers' perceptions of the incidence and management of ADHD. School Psychology International, 28 (1), p. 46-52. Hunsucker, G. (1988) Attention deficit disorder. Fort Worth, TX: Forrest Publishing. Kern, L., Paul, G., Volpe, R., Sokol, N., Lutz, G., Arbolino, L., Pipan, M. & VanBrakle, J. (2007) Multi-setting assessment-based intervention for young children at risk for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: Initial effects on academic and behavioral functioning. School Psychology Review, 36(2), p. 237-255. Moser, C.A. & Kalton, G. (1971) Survey methods in social investigation (2nd Ed). Aldershot: Gower NIMH/National Institute of Mental Health (2004) A look at attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Bethesda (MD): National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services. March 2004. NIH Publication Number: NIH 04-5429. NIMH/National Institute of Mental Health (2005) Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Bethesda (MD): National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services (Revision by M. Strock). NIH Publication Number: NIH 5124. Nowacek, E.J. & Mamlin, N. (2007) General education teachers and students with ADHD: What modifications are made Preventing School Failure, 51 (3), p. 28-35. Remenyi, D., Williams, B., Money, A. & Swartz, E. (1998) Doing research in business and management: An introduction to process and method. London: Sage. Robson, C. (2002) Real world research: A resource for social scientists and practitioner-researchers (2nd Ed). Oxford: Blackwell. Saunders, M.N.K., Lewis, P. & Thornhill, A. (2003) Research methods for business students (3rd Ed). Harlow: FT Prentice Hall. Still, G.F. (1902) Some abnormal psychical conditions in children: the Goulstonian lectures. Lancet, 1, p. 1008-1012. Tymms, P. & Merrell, C. (2006) The impact of screening and advice on inattentive, hyperactive and impulsive children. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 21 (3), p. 321-37. York, J., Doyle, M.B. & Kronberg, R. (1992) A curriculum development process for inclusive classrooms. Focus on Exceptional Children, 25(4), p. 36-52. Read More