An Interactive Guide Based on Learning Objects to Train Teachers on the Detection and Support of Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Abstract

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that interferes with normal children's functioning or development. Children with ADHD show difficulties related to their behavior and school performance. Due to this situation, their teachers must develop assertive communication with the parents and, at the same time, deepen the children's diagnosis. However, in Ecuador, there are no real estimates about ADHD that can help conduct early and appropriate interventions on patients who present this disorder. For these reasons, school teachers do not have therapeutic and pedagogical tools to address students' needs with ADHD. In this line, it is important mentioning that teachers are the second most important educational agents in the child's life, occupying most of their time after the parents. Therefore, it is essential for providing Ecuadorian school teachers with the knowledge and skills to carry out early detection and the consequent management and support of children with ADHD (educational inclusion). Thus, the teachers will develop pedagogical techniques based on psychoeducational guides that facilitate understanding students' special educational needs. In this paper, we present an interactive educational guide for school teachers because of the foregoing. This guide relies on expert systems and quasi-experimental research to train teachers of the “La Salle” Educational Unit (Azogues city) through the application of psychoeducational workshops. The guide address the following topics: recognition, functioning, behavioral control, emotional self-regulation, and social area of children with ADHD. The pilot experiment show encouraging results and high satisfaction levels on the teachers' side.