A Critical Discourse Analysis of Diagnostic Criteria for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Hyperkinetic Disorder

• In Event: Special Education Research: Special Populations

Abstract

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and its European counterpart, Hyperkinetic Disorder (HD), remain some of the most commonly diagnosed disorders of school-aged children in Western countries. In this paper, we examine the diagnostic criteria of these disorders in two widely used clinical manuals: the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and the International Classification of Diseases. We conduct a critical discourse analysis of the actions that are said to demonstrate the presence of ADHD/HD. Our analysis reveals that the very conceptualization of ADHD/HD as a mental disorder is largely predicated on an adherence to the rigid expectations of schools. We argue that the current discourse functions to legitimize status-quo educational practices and normalize students’ behavioral and learning characteristics.

Authors

• Justin Freedman, Syracuse University

• Juho Honkasilta, University of Jyväskylä