Agitated/inattentive children: explanatory models

Abstract

This article presents different approaches found in the literature regarding agitated and inattentive children in school. Two tendencies can be identified: one aims on biological aspects and the other on predominantly social aspects. In the first approach, agitation and inattention are characterized as alterations based on the individual, with biological basis, and described as a symptom of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). In the second, the focus is shifted to the psychological, educational, social, historical and cultural context, and their influences on the process of human development. Concepts of normality and their social implications are discussed. A critical view is given to the increasing medicalization of the teaching-learning process and the transformation of collective problems into individual problems, in order to exempt institutions from their responsibilities. Inspired by the historical-cultural perspective, an integrative vision is proposed,
encompassing school, family and society, expanding possibilities of planning and educational and social action.