Conhecimentos dos docentes do 1º ciclo do ensino básico sobre o transtorno do déficit de atenção com hiperatividade

The Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurobehavioral disorder characterized by persistent patterns and inadequate levels of inattention and / or hyperactivity-impulsivity. It is the most frequent disorder of school age, and, therefore, it is relevant that teachers know how to intervene appropriately, using educational and behavioral strategies in view of academic success and social integration. Currently, ADHD is probably the most studied childhood disorder and also the one first grade teachers face the most in their daily lives. In this study, in order to identify the knowledge first grade teachers have on this disturbance and the influence of professional experience in the evaluation they make upon their knowledge, a questionnaire was developed and applied to a sample of two hundred and fifty teachers. The results show that, in general, although the teachers have already worked with children presenting ADHD, they consider their knowledge as satisfactory, indicating the need of more qualification in this area.