This Brief addresses the causes, assessment, and treatment of ADHD in Lebanese schoolchildren. It details how the disorder is currently defined in Lebanese elementary schools and examines schoolteachers’ understanding of and conceptions about ADHD across three domains: general knowledge; symptoms and diagnosis; and treatment. This concise volume presents the authors’ research into Lebanese schoolteachers’ knowledge of ADHD and their ability and readiness to address the psychological and academic needs of their students who have been diagnosed with the disorder. In addition, the Brief explores the teachers’ ability to identify ADHD subtypes in relation to a student’s gender within the Lebanese context, emphasizing the differing sociocultural expectations in the behaviors of boys and girls. Topics featured in this Brief include:divulliCurrent procedures for identifying ADHD in Lebanon. br/liliLebanese teachers’ knowledge about ADHD, their misconceptions, and factors that influence their opinions. br/liliBiases toward and confusion about disorders on the basis of perceived gender differences. br/liliADHD assessment and implementation strategies for Lebanese special education professionals.br/liliResearch questions, design, and methods as well as data collection and analysis procedures used in the study. br/li/ul/divdivbr/divdiviADHD in Lebanese Schools

This Brief discusses research about gifted education in Lebanese schools. It provides an overview of the latest theories, definitions, and practices used to identify gifted students in Lebanese schools. Chapters begin by providing background information on the status of gifted education in Lebanon and the challenges gifted Lebanese children face. Subsequent chapters discuss recent and relevant international definitions of giftedness as well as common misconceptions and underrepresentation of giftedness. The Brief presents research study findings on the cultural definition of giftedness in the minds of Lebanese teachers. It also presents findings on current practices used to identify gifted learners in Lebanese schools. It concludes with recommendations from the teachers that participated in the reported study as well as the authors’ proposal for a Lebanese elementary school policy for identification of gifted students. Gifted Education in Lebanese Schools is an informative resource for researchers, professionals, practitioners, and graduate students in the field of school psychology, educational psychology, gifted and special education, and social work.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a multifaceted disorder that remains a controversial subject in education. While some practitioners see it as a real issue that blights the lives of children and adolescents, who need dedicated help to overcome it, others dismiss it as an excuse for the failures of parents and teachers. It is a wide spectrum of interpretation. This study started from the viewpoint that ADHD is a serious medical, social and educational issue that has an adverse effect on sufferers, their families, their peers and their teachers, but that these effects can be lessened and controlled by effective educational interventions guided by the principles of the bio-psycho-social approach. Accordingly, the framework for the study was twofold: the bio-psycho-social approach to understanding and treating the disorder; and the mixed-methods research approach to designing, implementing and analyzing the information obtained by this study. One of the reasons for the divergence in professional opinion on ADHD is that the symptoms and associated behaviours make it difficult to assess, especially in younger children. This highlights the need for a reliable and valid assessment tool that can be adapted across languages and cultures, to allow for diagnosis and cross-comparison. In this study, the short form of the Conners' Teacher Rating Scale Revised (CTRS-R: S) was adapted to make it suitable for use with Lebanese nationals. It was adapted by a team of translators, carefully selected per the ITC guidelines, using the backward-translation design, a small pilot test, structured interviews and a survey. This multilayered approach produced very interesting results regarding prevalence of ADHD in Lebanon, as well as a rating scale with proven reliability and validity. Thus the two research questions posed by this study were answered comprehensively, giving an important insight into the requirements for a successful adaptation and using that adapted assessment tool to deliver new information about ADHD in the Lebanese setting.

This book addresses the impact of inclusion on the performance of students with and without special needs in Lebanese schools. It examines the performance of regular students to the performance of students with learning disabilities (LD) and gifted students as perceived by them to identify the population that is best served by inclusion. The book investigates three domains affecting student performance in inclusive settings: management and organization. Teaching and learning, and student support and school ethos. In addition, it compares the ways in which these domains affect student performance for each population. In addition, the book presents a detailed description of the inclusive practices that affect student performance and the indicators that contribute most positively to fostering the performance of regular students, gifted students, and students with LD. Finally, it describes the inclusion model applied and proved empirically to affect the positive performance of all student groups as a response to the increasing call for inclusive schooling in Lebanon. Key areas of coverage include: Inclusive education, social justice, and equity in Lebanese schools. Student perceptions of inclusion in Lebanon. Inclusion of gifted learners and students with learning disabilities. Comparison of student performance among different populations in inclusive settings. Domains affecting student performance in inclusive settings. Proposed model of student inclusion in Lebanese schools. School Inclusion in Lebanon is an essential resource for researchers, professionals and policymakers, and graduate students in such interrelated fields as school psychology, inclusive education / educational psychology, and social work.