Understanding the Classroom Challenges and Coping Strategies of Students With Special Needs

Inclusive education in Malaysia aims to promote equitable access, meaningful participation, and belonging for students with special educational needs. However, comparatively fewer studies have explored the lived classroom experiences of school-aged students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), particularly from the students’ own perspectives. Existing Malaysian research has predominantly examined inclusive education through teacher perspectives, implementation challenges, and institutional factors. This study addresses this gap by exploring the classroom challenges experienced by students with ADHD, the coping strategies they employ, and the role of teachers and peers in supporting their emotional well-being. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory and Self-Determination Theory, this study employed a qualitative narrative case study design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with two female students diagnosed with ADHD in an inclusive international school located in Gombak, Malaysia. Data were analysed using Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic analysis approach. Findings revealed that students experienced challenges related to attention regulation, sensory overload, instructional pacing, anxiety during presentations, and communication during group activities. Despite these challenges, participants demonstrated adaptive coping strategies, including movement-based self-regulation, breathing techniques, sensory tools, task segmentation, and cognitive refocusing. Teacher understanding, instructional clarity, and peer support emerged as important factors influencing students’ emotional comfort, classroom participation, and sense of belonging. The study concludes that meaningful inclusion requires more than classroom placement; it requires flexible pedagogy, emotional validation, and neurodiversity-informed practices that recognise students with ADHD as active participants in their own educational experiences.