Tracing the metaphors of ADHD: a preliminary analysis with implications for inclusive education

Abstract

The rising incidence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnoses and consequent medication prescriptions has stirred great controversy in the USA. The very meaning and social utility of the disorder are hotly contested in the public sphere and in the schools. Since 1997, changes in federal law have led to increased involvement of students with ADHD diagnoses in American special education. This paper undertakes a preliminary metaphor analysis of ADHD in the writings of leading expert Russell A. Barkley. Two dominant metaphors are identified: the brain as a cybernetic control system; and people with ADHD as prisoners. Implications of these metaphors for inclusive education are examined.