Influências da educação física nas manifestações comportamentais de crianças com TDAH: um estudo das percepções docentes

Abstract

This qualitative study, characterized as exploratory and interpretative, aimed to understand how classroom teachers and Physical Education specialists perceive the behavioral manifestations of children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in the early years of Elementary School, considering the context of Physical Education classes in a private school in southern Minas Gerais, Brazil. Data were produced through semi-structured interviews with thirteen classroom teachers and two Physical Education specialists and analyzed according to the content analysis procedures proposed by Bardin. The emerging categories revealed that teachers describe Physical Education classes as a dynamic, playful, and participatory environment which, according to their perceptions, is associated with behaviors of greater engagement, learning, organization, and social interaction among children with ADHD. The teachers’ observations do not indicate causal relationships but express interpretations constructed from their practice and daily interactions with the students. It is concluded that the teachers’ perceptions offer relevant elements to understand how the bodily and pedagogical environment of Physical Education is interpreted in relation to the management of behavioral manifestations associated with ADHD, contributing to the debate on inclusive practices and to the reflection on the role of Physical Education in the integral development of children.