May 21, 201313 yr My response to the statistic in general is - 'only' 1 in 5. We were 3 for 3. But we worked through it. Many kids have 'developmental' problems. As overdiagnosed as ADHD is, SIDS (Sensory Integration Dysfunction Syndrome) seems to be under diagnosed. Kid bothered by tag in the back of the their shirt? But have they been told they have ADHD symptoms? Maybe its not ADHD, it maybe SIDS. And you do eventually out-grow SIDS. I believe true ADHD is genetic and with you for life.
May 21, 201313 yr I wonder if we over diagnose in the United States? Ding Ding Ding...we have a winner!!!!! Yes they do, I've been saying this for years. I can't speak for a lot of the kids who have been diagnosed but I can state for a fact my nephew who has a mother who is a Hypochondriac. This poor kid was tested at genius levels in 6th grade and was bored in school, his mother convinced he had mental issues took him to every doctor she could until one diagnosed him with something and then he has been medicated heavily since then....he couldn't go to school after 7th grade and has been in a home ever since and that was 20 years ago. Too many kids are over diagnosed and too many doctors throw drugs at them which proves only to screw them up the rest of their lives.
May 21, 201313 yr I feel like as a society on a whole, adults are spending too much time making sure kids feel good about themselves, and protecting them from failure and conflict. When these kids get older, they don't know how to resolve conflict, and haven't developed the skills to deal with their shortcomings. Then with age of electronic devices, where everything is instant gratification and everything is delivered to you quickly, They don't even have to use their imagination to play anymore. We've virtually taken gym and art classes out of schools because they don't show up on standardized tests. Kids just no longer develop the creative skills, and don't learn how to work through trouble and failures, which leaves many unable to cope. The ones that end up on medication have it even worse. What if when they go out on their own they have no insurance and can't afford the meds that have kept them straight all those years?? Or without mom and dad their to ensure they take it, they just decide to quit?? The only coping mechanism they have is now gone. I think too many parents look for an answer as to why Johnny isn't a genius, or doing well in school or sports or what THEY think their kid should be doing. I think all the medication is just setting us up with a generation of poorly adjusted kids.
May 21, 201313 yr I feel like as a society on a whole, adults are spending too much time making sure kids feel good about themselves, and protecting them from failure and conflict. When these kids get older, they don't know how to resolve conflict, and haven't developed the skills to deal with their shortcomings. Then with age of electronic devices, where everything is instant gratification and everything is delivered to you quickly, They don't even have to use their imagination to play anymore. We've virtually taken gym and art classes out of schools because they don't show up on standardized tests. Kids just no longer develop the creative skills, and don't learn how to work through trouble and failures, which leaves many unable to cope. The ones that end up on medication have it even worse. What if when they go out on their own they have no insurance and can't afford the meds that have kept them straight all those years?? Or without mom and dad their to ensure they take it, they just decide to quit?? The only coping mechanism they have is now gone. I think too many parents look for an answer as to why Johnny isn't a genius, or doing well in school or sports or what THEY think their kid should be doing. I think all the medication is just setting us up with a generation of poorly adjusted kids. Great post!
May 21, 201313 yr I have 1 in 5. He's my 4th and the 3rd boy. We put off the medicating for as long as we could, trying different things, different doctors, and hoping he would outgrow it. Sometimes I think we waited too long and if we had started earlier maybe it would have helped more and he would not have gotten behind and had to repeat a grade.
May 21, 201313 yr I agree. Some or even Most of these ADHD kids would calm down with a good ole butt whipping. The ones who really do have ADHD, would not be calmed down. They would consider it an easy out. In my experience, an egg timer produced more fear in the child with ADHD than any threat of corporal punishment.
May 21, 201313 yr I have 1 in 5. He's my 4th and the 3rd boy. We put off the medicating for as long as we could, trying different things, different doctors, and hoping he would outgrow it. Sometimes I think we waited too long and if we had started earlier maybe it would have helped more and he would not have gotten behind and had to repeat a grade. Repeating a grade is not the worst thing in the world to happen. In some cases, it actually promotes a better student because the second time through, the child is more mature.
May 21, 201313 yr The ones who really do have ADHD, would not be calmed down. They would consider it an easy out. In my experience, an egg timer produced more fear in the child with ADHD than any threat of corporal punishment. I agree that ones that really have ADHD need the medication.
May 21, 201313 yr I wonder if we over diagnose in the United States? as a pharmacist ... the over whelming answer in this area is a resounding screaming YES .
May 21, 201313 yr This from the French Kids article: As a therapist who works with children, it makes perfect sense to me that French children don't need medications to control their behavior because they learn self-control early in their lives. The children grow up in families in which the rules are well-understood, and a clear family hierarchy is firmly in place. In French families, as Druckerman describes them, parents are firmly in charge of their kids—instead of the American family style, in which the situation is all too often vice versa. Wow...maybe I should have been a therapist...this is EXACTLY what I have been saying for years. Too many kids have not been taught/made or otherwise have not learned self control and far too often parents, doctors, others decide the best route to take to get the kid to "control" their selves is to pump them with a drug twice a day and zombie them out. After all, it's just too hard to teach that as a parent...and who has the time/will to do it? Give'em a pill. That's not to say there aren't kids who need the medication, there definitely area, but not nearly as many as are currently on medication. I had an "adhd" kid about 3 years ago on an Upward basketball team I coached. Kid would not listen, wouldn't focus, always interrupting, and this while he was ON his meds. I had a talk with his dad. Dad was essentially the same way (not focused, rambling) and just made excuses for his son. He would sometimes watch practice, see his son being disruptive, and not once did he ever take his son to the side or have a talk with him to correct his behavior. His behavior was just "accepted" because he had adhd and I would just have to deal with it. Well, that right there told me all I needed to know about why this kid was the way he was, or at least what was a big part of the reason. I believe there are thousands of kids in the same way, no expectations/boundaries put on them and parents not parenting.
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.