D2

Ethical Dilemmas Form Problem: A child in the room has been diagnosed as having ADHD. He sometimes scares the younger children with his boisterous and frenetic activity. A parent who is a kindergarten teacher notices his behavior and asks you what the problem is.
Stakeholders (persons impacted by the problem): Other students in the school, other teachers, the parents of the other children, the parents of the child diagnosed with ADHD
Ethical considerations (note code section): Considerations include I. 1 – The educator shall not unreasonably restrain the student from independent action in the pursuit of learning, I. 4 – The educator shall make reasonable effort to protect the student from conditions harmful to learning or to health and safety, I. 5 – The educator shall not intentionally expose the student to embarrassment or disparagement, and I. 8 – The educator shall not disclose information about students obtained in the course of professional service unless disclosure serves a compelling professional purpose or is required by law (National Education Association, 1975).
Explore the Issue (state the facts): The student diagnosed with ADHD scares the younger children at times. The student has a medical condition that causes this behavior. The teacher of the younger students wishes to know what the issue is with the diagnosed student to be able to better handle the effects on his or her students.
Initial ideas to solve the problem: If the student directly affects the students in the other teacher’s class, disclosure is acceptable. If the student does not directly affect the students in the other teacher’s class, disclosure is not needed. Actions can be taken to work with the student who is diagnosed in attempt to mitigate the issue.
Decide on the course of action:
Possible courses of action
Consequences
1. Discuss with the teacher the reasons behind the diagnosed child’s behavior to better come up with a plan for the student that best suits both classrooms
The student may feel embarrassed if their condition is known, resulting in teasing or other possible persecution by their peers.
2. Advise the teacher that it is not relevant to their class, or to the students in their class and instead just work with the diagnosed student to mitigate the negative behaviors.
The teacher may take offense to not getting the information they were requesting, likewise, if an IEP is determined for the ADHD student, they may feel singled out as a result of their disability.
3. Work with the other teachers being affected by the student’s behavior, and the student themselves, as well as the parents of the diagnosed student to create an IEP that serves to meet the needs of the student, as well as all of the needs of other students that may be affected through the assistance of all adults involved.
The student may feel singled out, but with an IEP in place, the student’s behavior, grades, and the effects on the other students may be mitigated.
4. As the diagnosed student is not adversely affecting anyone, allow the course of action currently in place to continue.
The younger students may get scared at times, but no one’s learning is being affected.
Discuss with colleague: When discussing the matter with the colleague, it is important to do so only if the performance of other students is directly affected by the diagnosed student’s actions.
Revisit, Reflect and Finalize Solution: The best solution is to work with the administrators, counselors, parents, and other affected teachers to come up with an IEP (Individualized Education Plan), which will afford all students the best possible learning environment, and at the same time, ensure that the needs of all students are being met to the educator’s and to the school’s best abilities.
Work Cited
National Education Association. (1975). Code of ethics. Retrieved from http://www. nea. org/home/30442. htm