Challenging Gifted Children and the Phenomenon of AD/HD: A Qualitative Study of Teachers“ and Parents” Perceptions in a Saudi Arabian Primary School

Abstract

This study overviews the circumstances surrounding gifted children who manifest challenging behaviours at school, and where the explanatory use of the diagnostic descriptor, AD/HD, is invoked. Specifically, this qualitative research study in Saudi Arabia investigated the phenomenological and diagnostic confusion between giftedness and AD/HD. Three mainstream regular classroom teachers, one specialist teacher of gifted children, and the parents of three gifted children were interviewed. All participants’ perceptions focused on the behavioural dimensions of teacher-nominated gifted children at school and at home. In general, the results indicate that diagnostic confusions between giftedness and AD/HD were manifest, and teachers’ and parents’ perspectives differed. Some unanticipated and interesting data also emerged from the research. In discussion of the results, a number of themes relating to the misidentification of gifted children are discussed. Some educational implications for future research directions are offered.

Keywords

featured, gifted, jeddah, study

APA Citation