Some people claim that ADHD is a modern invention and that too many people are being diagnosed with it. Others believe the disorder is real, with major consequences for those who have it. Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) professor and school researcher Marit Uthus is certain of at least one thing:
“We need to listen to the school children who can tell us what their diagnosed ADHD feels like, both physically and mentally. After all, they are the ones with first-hand experience. If they are given the chance to speak, the rest of us can better understand what they need in order to learn and participate in school on equal terms with everyone else,” said Uthus.
Autonomy in learning
Along with psychologist and researcher Audhild Løhre, Uthus has recently conducted an interview study focusing on two school children: ‘Sofie’ and ‘Benjamin’.
Both students have ADHD. The researchers followed the pupils and their teachers over the course of one school year during which their school introduced a new model for adapted education. Both pupils describe how they experienced gaining an entirely new sense of autonomy. One day a week, they are free to choose what they want to learn and to organize their schoolwork as they think best.
The study is small, but the researchers believe it introduces important and genuine experiences directly into the wider discussion about ADHD and inclusion in Norwegian schools, Uthus said.
An extra challenging form of learning
Because ‘Sofie’ and ‘Benjamin’ have inattentive ADHD, autonomous or self-regulated learning can be especially challenging. This type of ADHD triggers precisely those brain processes that are taxing for people with the diagnosis. This includes receiving and processing internal and external stimuli, and maintaining focus and self-regulation.
“Self-determination in learning means acting in accordance with oneself – or one’s own will. And when you become inattentive in your learning – when your thoughts slip beyond your own control – things don’t work. This is precisely where the challenge of self-determined learning lies for these pupils,” explained Uthus.
A double-edged sword
The school researcher describes their situation as a double-edged sword, because like everyone else, both ‘Sofie’ and ‘Benjamin’ like to make their own decisions.
Despite the challenges they face, they are motivated by their teacher’s trust and the opportunity to act autonomously in their own learning one day a week.
Thoughts that end up in the wrong place
Sofie describes her experience with ADHD like this: “(...) it is as if my thoughts wander around in my head and end up in the wrong place. They then start to get all jumbled up in the very place where I should be concentrating. “(..) Once I’ve lost concentration, it’s like I’m in my own world.”
At the same time, the 11-year-old says, “When I get to decide for myself, I feel happy!”
She likes being able to decide what works best for her, such as choosing whether to tackle the hardest or the easiest schoolwork first.
“I want to decide for myself what to do, and it’s nice to be able to do that,” Sofie. said
Lose concentration – find motivation
Everything happens in collaboration with the teacher, but the pupils take the leading role. The starting point is that we all have an innate need to make our own decisions and influence what happens in our lives. When we experience tasks as meaningful and are able to act according to our own wishes and interests, that increases both motivation to learn and effort.
“So, even though ‘Sofie’ experiences her concentration slipping away, she manages to find new energy to keep thinking. In doing so, she compensates for what she loses. She replaces it with motivation to complete a task even when she is tired, finds it difficult or thinks it is boring. She is motivated by the good feeling of completing what she started,” Uthus said.
Harnessing the power of self-determination
Uthus believes that this type of real-life experience brings important new insights and meaningful depth to theories in educational research. If we view self-determination as a power we all have and can use to make learning more enjoyable, we can open up new opportunities for this group of pupils.
The study ‘Students with inattention and their experiences of autonomy in learning activities: an interview study with two students and their teachers’ was recently published in Frontiers in Psychology.
Uthus says the study focuses specifically on a few individuals’ experiences, and one that is worth exploring further.
Children with ADHD struggle at school
Uthus has spent many years studying inclusion in schools. This autumn, a different study from OsloMet found that only about half of children with ADHD thrive at school. Pupils who spend more than half of their school day being taught outside of their regular classroom community particularly tend to struggle.
“I think this is linked to the fact that school is an increasingly pressured environment to grow up in. Adaptation and support provided by teachers regarding pupils’ self-determination is crucial in all of this. Research suggests that these pupils are not receiving the support they need – specifically the support that takes place within the learning community of the classroom,” said Uthus.
ADHD does not mean learning challenges
She emphasizes that these are children with the same abilities and resources as everyone else. They are capable of achieving anything.
“ADHD is not a challenge associated with learning – but rather a challenge associated with attention. Being taken out of the classroom, because there is a lack of support in the classroom, feels like an unfair punishment. I believe it is important to stress that this is not necessarily due to poor teaching, but rather the lack of resources in today’s schools. We could go on endlessly discussing whether too many children are being diagnosed with ADHD, and what the reasons for this might be. The point is that this debate leads nowhere for the individuals who need help,” explained Uthus.
Missing the point
Uthus believes that the debate around ADHD sometimes goes off track, with arguments over whether the diagnosis is real or socially constructed. She feels we pay too little attention to the experiences of the children and young people actually living with the diagnosis, and that there should be greater focus on how their learning environments are structured.
“Children and young people spend a lot of their waking hours at school. Their time there is a major determinant in how they will fare later on in life: in their future careers, in being part of society and in gaining a better quality of life – and this is why adaptation is so important. It is about engaging with pupils more effectively and getting to know them. Letting them experience that they are good enough as they are and that they are appreciated for all their differences,” said Uthus.
Brains work differently
“We could go on endlessly discussing whether too many children are being diagnosed with ADHD, and what the reasons for this might be. The point is that this debate leads nowhere for the individuals who need help. If we instead focus on their experiences, it becomes less important whether ADHD is a real diagnosis or not. It is about inequality. We all have brains that work differently, and each of us falls somewhere along that spectrum,” concluded Uthus.
Reference:
Marit Uthus, Audhild Løhre: ‘Students with inattention and their experiences of autonomy in learning activities: an interview study with two students and their teachers’. DOI 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1624279
