Background: This study investigates the ability of primary school teachers to recognise Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and the impact of subtype and child gender on recognition and proposed management.
Method: Primary school teachers read one of four types of vignette describing the behaviour of a 9-year-old child: either a boy or a girl with inattentive or combined subtype of ADHD. Teachers were asked about their conceptualisation of the child's difficulties and their thoughts about need for specialist referral and other interventions.
Results: Of 496 teachers, 99% identified the presence of a problem. Subtype (combined) of ADHD influenced teachers' recognition of ADHD and agreement that medication might be helpful. Only 13% of teachers thought that medication might be helpful.
Conclusions: Results suggest a need for better teacher awareness about inattentive subtype of ADHD.
Keywords: ADD/ADHD; attention; gender; school children; symptomatology.
© 2012 The Authors. Child and Adolescent Mental Health © 2012 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.