Pedro, a boy expelled from the British School of Gran Canaria in Tafira because of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), faced discriminatory treatment, «This is not a special case, it happens a lot, especially in private schools., are taken away from them so that they can go to another school and the damage that has been done is irreparable,” stressed the president of Association of Relatives of People Affected by ADHD of Gran CanariaSebastian Santiago Ojeda.
The spokesperson for the association assures that, when a minor suffering from this disorder goes through this difficult ordeal, “the suicidal ideation, This happens very often because – he says – children with ADHD do not have the same level of self-esteem and It causes psychiatric and behavioral disorders.», is the sadness of the promoter of this group founded in 2004 with the aim of advising, informing and guiding parents so that their children can be diagnosed and receive the necessary psycho-educational and therapeutic resources for their personal and academic development. can be offered.
However, Santiago deplores that educational authorities forget to address the issue in classrooms, despite the fact that ADHD is one of the most prevalent neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood and adolescence.Between 5% and 9%, and the law obliges the administration to guarantee that students with this difficulty can achieve their maximum possible development.
“A visually impaired child is held by the hand and made to sit in the front row. These children have an invisible disability and if not supported it can have devastating consequences, If they are supported, they complete their studies and achieve their goals,” says Santiago, who has been helping people facing this problem for 24 years.
underutilized resources
The Canary Islands Ministry of Education was a pioneer in dealing with this issue: in 2005 it approved a proposal resulting in Protocol for early detection of ADHD in children aged 4 to 5 years And in 2011 it was equipped with a Programs for the educational care of students with ADHD,
“These tools Not implemented due to lack of information And due to not taking systematic measures,” says a spokesperson for those affected.
Thus, when a boy or girl gets distracted in class, he or she presents impulsive, unreflected reactions and does not stop moving, Teachers don’t consider the possibility that he has ADHD And generally reprimands him for his attitude, even with disciplinary measures that, in some cases, end with his expulsion.
,The teacher should resort to empathy, positive reinforcement, and motivation, but the easiest thing to do is to label him as an idiot. Who doesn’t want to be in class? The child internalizes these destructive criticisms that weaken his emotions and motivation and lead to mental disorders,” says the spokesperson for the families of the affected Gran Canarians, who provides special support to the affected students through educational assistants from the authorities. Urges to promote early diagnosis to meet the needs. and educational therapists if necessary.
In fact, Santiago says so If a child with ADHD does not receive the necessary treatment in the classroom as required by law, it will result in behavioral problems and academic failure., “If ADHD were addressed, Spain’s school dropout rate would drop by 14%.”
Fast track to disqualification
Every year about 200 fathers and mothers come to the Association of Relatives of People Affected by ADHD in Gran Canaria to ask for help to resolve their children’s condition.
According to the group’s spokesperson, Per year they are aware of about ten cases of children with ADHD who are unable to study in a center.Which forces them to shift to another place and unbalances their mental health.