Resumen de Emission of ADHD Behaviors by “Normal” Children according to Argentinean Teachers

Fátima Papaleo, Mayra Pueyrredón, Laura Acuña, Alba Mustaca

• español

  Según el DSM-IV un niño que emite “a menudo” seis de 18 conductas debe etiquetarse con TDAH. Los maestros generalmente reportan la frecuencia de emisión “anormal”. El estudio averiguó la frecuencia de emisión de conductas del TDAH por niños “normales”. Maestros de primaria (N = 113) señalaron la frecuencia (0 = nunca; 3 = muy frecuentemente) con la que un niño “normal” emite en clase las conductas del TDAH incluidas en el DSM-IV. Según el 25.7% de los maestros, los niños normales emiten frecuentemente (más de cuatro veces por hora) seis o más conductas del TDAH. Las características sociodemográficas de los maestros y variables del contexto escolar se relacionaron con la frecuencia considerada como normal. Se concluyó que las conductas del TDAH son emitidas muy frecuentemente en clase por los niños normales. El juicio sobre si dicha frecuencia es o no anormal dependerá del subgrupo al que pertenecen los maestros. Por tanto, una misma conducta puede juzgarse como anormal por un maestro y como normal por otro. Los resultados son congruentes con la aproximación psicológica a la conducta anormal que postula que cada observador juzgará como normal o anormal una conducta conforme su propio criterio, determinado por factores culturales.

• English

  According to the DSM-IV a child that “often” emits at least six of 18 behaviors should be diagnosed with ADHD. Generallyteachers are the first to report the “abnormal” frequency of behaviors of their students. The study aimed at determiningthe frequency of emission of ADHD behaviors by a “normal” student during class hours. Elementary school teachers (N = 113) reported in a 4-point scale (0 = never; 3 = very frequently) the frequency with which a “normal” child emits in class the ADHD behaviors included in the DSM-IV. Results showed that according to 25.7% of the teachers, “normal” children emit frequently (i.e., more than four times per hour) six or more ADHD behaviors. Results also showed that the sociodemographic characteristics of the teachers and school-situational variables were related to the frequency of a behavior that was deemed as normal. It was concluded that ADHD behaviors are emitted quite frequently by normal children during class hours. The judgment on whether that frequency is or not normal will depend of the subgroup to which each teacher belongs. Thus, a same behavior could be judged as normal by one teacher and as abnormal by another. The results are in accordance with the psychological approximation to abnormal behavior that states that each observer will judge a behavior as normal or as abnormal according to his/her own criteria determined by cultural standards.