ADHD diagnosis in school

meanings and implications in light of Cultural-Historical Theory

Abstract

This article focuses on the diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) with inattentive predominance and investigates the implications of this diagnosis for a student’s academic trajectory. Grounded in Lev Vygotsky’s Historical-Cultural Theory, the study conceives of the development of higher psychological functions—such as voluntary attention—as the result of social relationships and symbolic mediation. The approach is qualitative, employing a case study based on narrative accounts provided by the student Beatriz, her mother, and educators. The results are organized into three themes: 1. The hegemony of biological discourse and the medicalization of school-related distress; 2. The diagnosis as a label and subjective constitution: drama and perejivânie; and 3. Teacher-student interaction and the impact of the school environment on Beatriz’s educational trajectory. The participants’ narratives indicate that the diagnosis is often associated with pathological aspects and internalized by the student as an organic defect, affecting her self-esteem and autonomy. The analysis, guided by the concepts of perejivânie (experience) and drama, highlights Beatriz’s subjective struggle to construct her identity in the face of the contradictions of her social environment, especially following situations of embarrassment and labeling in the school setting. It can be concluded that a student’s development is profoundly influenced by concrete social relationships and that educational intervention should focus on these dimensions, challenging the centrality of biological explanations in favor of promoting human development and inclusion.