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The youngest children in their school grade are more likely to be diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) than their slightly older peers in the same grade, a new study finds.
Researchers looked at ADHD diagnoses in nearly 1 million children in British Columbia, where the cutoff date for entering school in any year is Dec. 31. In other words, children born in January are the oldest in their grade; children born just before the cutoff in December are the youngest.
They found that children born in December were 39 percent more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD, and 48 percent more likely to be treated with medication for the condition compared with children born in January.
ADHD is diagnosed based on children's behavior ; there is no objective test for the condition.
"Our study suggests younger, less mature children are inappropriately being labeled and treated," study researcher Richard Morrow, of the University of British Columbia, said in a statement. "It is important not to expose children to potential harms from unnecessary diagnosis and use of medications."
The new findings are line with those of two previous studies, and were published today (March 5) in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
ADHD in children
ADHD is the most common neurobehavioral disorder in children. As of 2007, 9.5 percent of U.S. children had been diagnosed with ADHD, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The new research included children who were between the ages of 6 and 12 at any point during the 11-year period between 1997 and 2008.
Of the approximately 39,000 boys in the study born in December, 7.4 percent were diagnosed with ADHD, while among same number of boys born in January, 5.7 percent were diagnosed, according to the study.
Of the 37,000 girls born in December, 2.7 percent were diagnosed with ADHD, whereas 1.6 percent of girls born in January were labeled as having the condition.
The researchers noted that the percentage of children diagnosed and treated for ADHD increased gradually over the study, and peaked in the most recent years. An increase has also been observed in the U.S. — according to the CDC, rates of ADHD diagnoses increased 5.5 percent per year between 2003 and 2007.
The new findings are in line with those of a 2010 study published in the Journal of Health Economics. That study found that the oldest children in a grade were 25 percent less likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than the youngest.
Those researchers said a children's maturation may play a role in ADHD diagnoses.
"We believe that younger children may be mistakenly diagnosed as having ADHD, when in fact they are simply less mature," study researcher Melinda Morrill, of North Carolina State University, said in a statement at the time.
What an incorrect diagnosis may mean
Medication to treat ADHD can have negative health effects in children, such as sleep disruption, increased risk of cardiovascular problems and slower growth rates, the researchers of the new study wrote in their findings. However, one recent study of 1.2 million children found no increased risk of heart problems associated with drugs commonly use to treat ADHD.
An ADHD diagnosis may affect a child's social life as well, the researchers of the new study said, as teachers and parents might treat children differently, and children may develop negative ideas about themselves.
The findings, along with the fact that there is no objective test to diagnose ADHD, "strongly suggest caution be taken in assessing children for this disorder and providing treatment," the researchers wrote in their conclusion.
The risk of misdiagnosing a child with the condition might be lowered by placing a greater emphasis on children's behavior outside of school, they wrote.
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Not really surprising in the least. It is a bit better now but when I was a kid pretty much any behavioral issues, no matter the kid's background or home life were considered ADHD cases. At the time ADHD basically meant "More active that I want to deal with"
ADHD is being over-diagnosed and children forcibly medicated due to teachers who either do not have the skills to deal with the children or do not want to be bothered. They tell the parents that they either have to medicate the kids into submission or the kids will be removed from the classroom. You will never convince me that almost ten percent of all children in the US have ADHD. They may have other behavioral problems do to their upbringing and home life, but this does not mean they are ADHD. The medications used to treat ADHD have long term psychological effects that are only now beginning to be understood. Putting children at such a young age on strong psychological drugs is doing major harm and needs to be stopped as much as possible. A student who is a little rambunctious should not be medicated into submission for the convenience of a lazy or poorly trained teacher. Educate the teachers in techniques to deal with these students and properly motivate and control them instead of drugging the kids.
only says what i've been saying for years. in fact, the schol was shocked the ex was trying to get my children on drugs for it. they saw no behavioral problems. it was the ex who wanted a divorce and not deal with the children that were dealing with the divorce. it was easier to medicate them and she found an idiot doctor who prescribed meds for them. too many are diagnosed because a parent/parents are inept.
teachers are there to teach...not to do the parents job of teaching them HOW to behave in public settings.
a student that is "a little rambunctious" more than once in a while likely just has some crappy parents that don't do a good job of setting rules and consequences, and then enforcing them
"Educate the teachers in techniques to deal with these students and properly motivate and control them instead of drugging the kids."
Right on!
The Father of "modern" American education - John Dewey - studied and applied the mind control techniques of Wilhelm Wundt - Leipzig Germany 1879 and there went the USA.
Pavlov studied and applied Wundt and there went Russia.
Wundt is considered the "father" of Psychiatry/Psychology and "discovered" that "man is an animal".
Wundt was financed by the Rothschilds and the Rothschild/Rockefeller bankster cult controlled media constantly promotes the Psycho/Pharm cartel's killer drugs in exchange for billions in ad revenue.
As this article points out, there is no objective measurment of ADHD. It is an invented label voted into existence by a show of hands at an American Psychiatric Association meeting.
Psycho/Pharm and the bankster cult are destroying our future one misdiagnosed child at a time.
Another Psycho/Pharm for profit genocidal scam.
I posted on this below, but just to be clear about some misinformation here. If you try to give ADD/ADHD medications to a child that is not ADD/ADHD, they will fly off the walls.
Ritalin/Concerta are speed, just like meth. As far as long term side effects, the risks of amphetamines have been know for quite a while, same with the risks of to much painkillers, to much alcohol or to much greasy foods. ADD/ADHD drugs are vital for some that have ADD/ADHD.
If your child is diagnosed, and takes an amphetamine with a positive result, they defiantly have the condition. As with everything else, its on the parents to take the time to raise their children.
If the researchers would take this study a step farther, I think they might also be able to prove that lack of discipline is a factor in ADHD. I speak from examples I have seen as a teacher and of children in my own family. I have a niece who had 3 children. Everything is cute until the get to school where teachers have neither the time or the training to stop and deal with such children. The children of which I speak have visited in my home. During the visits, I have seen them climb onto my kitchen table and walk around, kick my dog, try to run over my dog with a bike, climb onto the back of the sofa and jump off. No attempt was made by the parent to correct the behavior. One of the children didn't want to go to the restaurant we chose once, so he refused to go in. Getting out of the car, and rolling on the ground was laughable, except for me. When they started to school, they were soon put on meds. The 3rd one is headed in the same direction. He is just too cute to make him stop. The mother is a stay at home , sit on the sofa and eat, welfare mom. Her method of dealing with them last month was to buy a flat screen tv for each of the older children's rooms. That kept them busy and "out of my face".
It's about time we as a society say enough is enough. I'm 27 and I can tell you my nephews and cousins who're 5-8 years old now are no more active then me and my brothers/cousins were 20 years ago. The difference ? We as a society have been told its not normal and talked into force medicating our kids with drugs that we do not understand and do not know what the future effect will have on these kids who take these drugs 20 years from now.
Oh, please..... The problem is not ADHD.. the problem is all these parents that think that spanking their disruptive kids is child abuse.. My parents spanked me when I misbehaved and it worked. There is a big difference between spanking and abuse.. If parents would spank their behinds when kid misbehaved they would find kids respond by not doing what was wrong. It makes me laugh when I hear the "experts" say to reason with a 3 year old. REASON? a 3 year old only knows that if he does something and gets attention he is going to repeat it. Spank him, and he remembers that a certain action gains a painful spank on the butt and avoids that behavior. Like it or not "parents" it doesn't hurt your child to be parented like in the old days, and if you did just maybe there would be less kids shooting others kids in school.
Dr's and teachers are over diagnosing kids all the time. My brother in law started taking those pills when he was ONLY 3 YEARS OLD!!!! Tell me that isnt retarded. Some parents are just plain ignorant! I would never give that crap to my kids. "hear kids take this stfu and sit down and dont speak."
This younger lady that worked for me in a business that I owned. Her son was diagnosed as ADHD. She and her husband never spent any real time talking to the kid and would scream, "Anthony, did you take your f*&%$ing medicine!" These diagnosis's carry a stigma for life and I believe that most are just the product of no to minimal communication with the child.
I also understand that it's a medical problem that needs to be treated in some. Docs, just chill with the abundant labels. In the 1960's our moms all "needed" hysterectomies and gall bladder removal. Pharma loves those labels. There's a buncha money in addicted patients.
Get the kids off their butts, put down the game controller and go outside and run and play. You would be amazed at how well behaved children can be when they actually expend the excess energy the way children should- running and playing. As children we were sent outside and had to stay out and find things to do, create our own activity. If you are afraid something might happen to your children here is another radical idea, get off your own butt and go out with your children and watch them play. Play with them. Throw the video games out and never allow them back in your house.
"ADHD is being over-diagnosed and children forcibly medicated due to teachers who either do not have the skills to deal with the children or do not want to be bothered. They tell the parents that they either have to medicate the kids into submission or the kids will be removed from the classroom."
Are you on Meth? Show me a case where a teacher force the parents to medicate their their kids? Kids are unrully, so if the behavior is not curbed, then the kid will be removed from the class. If the kid endangers other kids then the kid will be asked to be removed. If an incident occurs, then the school has the right to revoke the right to atten that particular school, then the parent will have to attend another school.
In addition, I think it is funny that you're now asking the teachers to get another degree or enter that of medical training!!!!!! How much $ are you paying your teachers such that you can abuse them as such?????
TEACHERS ARE NOT BABY-SITTERS. They are simply educators. It is you who fail your children when you dump your responsiblities as parents building your kid's character and caring for their health. SHAME ON YOU!!!!
I concur
Not only did my parents whack me when I misbehaved (and that kept the misbehavior episodes to a minimum), but when I went to school (all the way through high school) teachers also whacked misbehaving kids. And parents didn't sue - they expected it (and if they found out, you got it twice as bad at home). There were no problems with "ADHD" back then and no need for meds. A hand flying directly at you was the only cure needed.
Today, parents want to think their children are the most perfect precious things on the face of the Earth and everyone else should treat them in the same way. They're spoiled and unruley and when they don't get what they want at school they way they get it at home, they have a tirade. No teacher should have to put up with that. A teacher I know had to deal with a brat who didn't do his homework, nor did any work at school and always got into trouble for it causing the brat to have a melt-down. When his good-for-nothing mother was finally confronted (she always defended her brat) and was directly asked why she didn't make him do his homework, she responded: "Making him do what he doesn't want to would be bad mothering." Well, there's your "ADHD."
@sandtrich, that is horrible of that person's parents to treat them that way.
And I agree with ALL of these comments. "ADHD" is just an excuse for teachers who cannot handle children and want peace for themselves. It is SELFISH and DEPLORABLE. If they want their precious peace and quiet so badly, then maybe they need to look into other careers besides teaching.
Sleep disruption, increased risk of cardiovascular problems, slower growth rates......I can think of a few more.
Permanent psychological tics, including Tourrette's
Nightmares
Dizziness
Decreased blood flow to the brain
Addiction and withdrawl reactions
Worsening of the very symptoms the drug is supposed to improve
Heart palpitation
Hypertension
Liver problems
.......there is NO excuse to drug such young children....all it REALLY does is up their risks for horrible health problems.
A child should NEVER be diagnosed as having ADHD because of behaviors in one setting, it would be unethical. It should also not be made without behavioral interventions being first attempted. There are also psychological tests, teacher and parent checklists, and procedures for making the diagnosis. Sadly, many kids are diagnosed by pediatricians and others without properly training who do so based only on parental or teacher feedback. If in doubt take your child to a good child psychologist to obtain a proper diagnosis and rule out other common issues, such as depression and anxiety or even behavioral problems that can be misdiagnosed as ADHD.
"Stop acting like a child!"
"But I am a child"
ADHD is not an excuse for teachers, it's an excuse for parents. Parents don't want to "parent" anymore. They want to coddle their brood and give them want they want so they don't have to bother raising and disciplining them. When the kids act up in school, the parents demand that the teachers put up with it and focus only on their spoiled brat rather than having the teacher focus on the rest of the kids who are there to learn and have their experience disrupted. Parents are the ones who are selfish and deplorable. If they can't parent, then they should look into doing something else besides raising a child. No teacher puts unnecessary medications into a child. Parents do because they don't want to be bothered. They think that by having their child labeled "disabled," they are off the hook to raise them properly and can even get a lot of cash out of it.
It's unbelievable what lengths parents will go through in order to have their kids labelled "disabled" in order to get lots of stuff. I have a teacher friend who had a kid in her class who was a spoiled brat. He knew how to play it up. The district called in, for his IEP's, the best psychologists to prove it was all a farce that the kid's dad put out. It didn't matter. The dad threatened to sue according to the ADA and wanted a very special "treatment" for his kid - the dad wanted a very expensive, all-trained, magnificent, extremely costly ($4,000) dog for his kid as a "service dog." In other words, daddy wanted to have a really expensive, pure-bred dog. His kid was his meal ticket for it. The district decided it was not worth the cost to fight it, so it agreed (and many classes and other kids have been disrupted because of this unnecessary "service dog"). There's nothing wrong with the kid. But now daddy has his high-priced pooch.
Teachers are not to blame for this sudden ADHD plague. Parents are. Parents are narcassistic, self-absorbed, lazy and money-grubbing. Their kids are nothing but a beloved major household appliance to them.
You say that NO teachers use this as an excuse, but you are WRONG. I have LITERALLY heard teachers saying "that child really ought to be medicated so we can have peace of mind".
BOTH parents and teachers are to blame, I am not wrong on this.
Parents need to take responsibility.
Teachers need to suck it up.
Enough said.
Properly diagnosed ADHD is not the fault of parents or teachers or even the child. It has very little to do with how the child is raised or treated in the classroom. ADHD is not a "bad" behavior issue.
Yes I have seen parents out there who do not discipline their children and teachers and parents out there who want a child to sit quietly and only move around when they are told (again not ADHD). I also agree that classroom management would be much easier if children had activities like recess. Furthermore, when a child acts developmentally appropriate or responds well to appropriate discipline/limits then the child should NOT be diagnosed with ADHD just because parents or teachers say so.
However, when a child is 10 years old and has been appropriately raised by parents but has the impulsiveness and inattention of a 3 year old at home and in a well managed classroom the child needs to be evaluated for ADHD.
To fix the problem of over-diagnosis, ADHD should only be diagnosed by developmental pediatricians, psychiatrists, and psychologists who have been specially trained to make such a diagnosis and that are willing to take the time/have the knowledge to rule-out other issues. It should not be diagnosed in 5 min and from just checklist completed by a parent.
Thank you!!! This is the first intelligent response I've seen.
You may be right in CERTAIN cases, Mike, but it is not very common for "ADHD" to be valid.
The rest of the cases are a clear result of overdiagnosing and mass drugging.
>Melissa.. You are welcome. I try to add a professional insight into these discussions when I can.
Isis.. even with the issue of over-diagnosis the rates are still less common than many would think.
I would love to see the first line of response the implementation of behavioral interventions and then medication used if the other interventions fail to show improvements. Unfortunately, many parents treat "ADHD" with a pediatrician visit and prefer the use of medications as a first line of treatment. Parents often only seek out therapy if the medication fails to "fix" the problem.
ADHD=BTS.
Boring Teacher Syndrome.
Most teachers could have told you this 20 years ago.
20 yrs ago, adhd was called something different--it was called "your kid is a spaz, and you need to a better job as a parent to get them to obey and listen"
A nice, firm rap on the backside does the trick
sebrad, exactly what I knew 45 years ago while in grammar school. Sister Jane would just get out the ruler or thunk you in the back of the head with a well timed finger. Problem solved
That would involve the parents taking responsibility for their children's actions and drug companies not looking for an easy dollar off of gullible and under qualified parents.
Forty years ago it was diagnosed as needs a foot in the ass syndrome by parents and teachers together. You pulled crap in school the principal busted your ass and when you got home dad did it again.
That's the truth, and you did your homework, and never ever talked back to the teacher. When I was in grammar school we either got the yardstick on our backside, or we got the ruler across our knuckles, ouch! Oh, I forgot nowdays that's child abuse. Funny how my grandparents, and my parents all were disciplined and not one of them had a violent bone in their body. It's all an excuse to let your little dieties run wild. People are starting to see that we should go back to the right way of raising our children, and it does not take a village to raise a child, IT TAKES TWO PARENTS! (A Mom and a Dad) The jails would be less full if the parents would get off their lazy keesters and put their foot down with their spoiled brats!
I don't think it is always the teachers or the parents, the schools are cutting recess, so the kids have more time to learn how to take tests (not learn, problem solve, or expand their social skills). When I went to school 25 years ago, we had 4 recesses, now kids are lucky if they have 2. Kids need time to play and get their energy out, not sit and practice work sheets. No Child Left Behind is ruining our country. Kids do not know how to think anymore, only take tests.
In 20 years, I do not want a doctor who is great at passing tests but can't problem solve or think creatively. Do you?
I'm guessing the real ADHD rate is closer to 1/4th of the number that is currently diagnosed as ADHD. ADHD is just the new easy way to calm kids down when teachers don't have the patience to handle younger children with short attention spans. I know for sure my kids will not be taking ADHD meds just because some teacher decides they move around to much.
Not to be rude, RobertAP-1, but I really wish that people would take the time to learn about complex issues like this before they post. No qualified professional gives a diagnosis of ADHD simply because the child "moves around too much". The diagnosis is based on a detailed set of criteria that, while imperfect, have proven immensely useful in identifying children that can be helped by a combination of behavioral approaches and medication. The DSM-IV guidelines for diagnosis actually specify that the symptoms must be causing significant difficulty in more than one setting. (That usually means school and home.)
If you're interested, here's a link to the diagnostic criteria.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/diagnosis.html
As to the present article, one significant point to make is that ADHD is like many other disorders in that there is a continuum between "perfectly normal" and "severe disorder". The fact that a disorder grades into normality may complicate the diagnostic process but it doesn't mean the disorder isn't real. The reality of ADHD as a disorder is based on an absolutely IMMENSE body of scientific work ranging from neuroanatomy, pharmacology, neuroimaging, clinical neuropsychology, and behavioral approaches (just to name a few). In all honesty, unless you have read -- and understood -- a bare minimum of 100 to 150 peer reviewed scientific papers in the field then you don't have enough knowledge of the evidence to even have an informed opinion.
Since teacher input is important to the diagnostic process, it's inevitable that a child will be compared with others in the class, not to others of the same chronological age. Since there is a continuum between "severe ADHD" and "perfectly normal" that means that clinical professionals are forced to judge borderline cases on the basis of biased information from teachers. Again....while this points to legitimate difficulties that need to be addressed, it hardly justifies the kind of simplistic statements you made.
Robert, step two is to teach your kid there is a time/place to figit and class time isn't it.
Errrrr...didn't the article mention there IS no objective and conclusive test for ADHD? Not every child will fit into every school system/curriculum, and why should they. The very fact that we are insisting that everybody behaves the same, looks the same, learns the same is the heart of the problem. There are different schoolsystems and curriculae out there, use them. Throwing chemicals at children for every hiccup there is merely feeds into the idea that drugs are just fine. And we wonder why the addiction to prescription drugs is greatly on the rise. Just how stupid ARE we?
Junicon.. most of the "behaviors" you want to site have only been noticed since parents became paranoid about spanking their kids. All the social pressures about violence begetting violence. Bull crap. I remember that there was one maybe two kids in our school back in the 60s and 70s that misbehaved badly enough they were sent home. Kids got spanking even from the teachers for misbehaving and let me tell you that kids behaved. This coddling and medicating of kids is fostering nothing but bullies and sociopaths out of the kids. Check out the time line for these studies and I am sure you will find that I am right.
Preach it Joy!!
I can't speak on anyone's behalf,but I have 4kids and didn't believe in ADHD until my third child.His birthday falls in september so he is already a year behind in school,cause he would have had to be 5 before september where i live.My son has never sat down to watch tv,eat at the table,or even play with his toys.The school never once told me to take him to the doctor for it,but did constantly tell me of endless problems,from my son playing with his shoes,screaming in the hallways for no reason,won't pay attention even when they tried working one on one with him,he wouldn't do his work or he'd start it and not finish it,touching things on other kids desk,and so on.He doesn't hit anyone besides his siblings at times, so he's not violent.I actually decided myself to see what I could do about this.I know every kid is different because I have two older ones than him and one younger one.He is the only one who has this issue and I can honestly say it has been like that since he was a baby.I will also add he did have to have his tonsils and adniods take in out when he was two due to blockage of his breathing causing apnea.I'm not sure if this is what caused the ADHD.The removal did hepl him sleep better but did not help with his hyperness or short attention span he has.I will say since he has been on the medecine he is learning more and best of all I'm not getting daily reports anymore on his behavior.He is on a low dose twice daily and he is no where near zombified from it.He is still active but I can at least get him to do his homework and watch a movie with us.I did try taking off for a week just to see if it was really the meds helping him and again I got a note home anywhere from he licked the locker in the hallway for no reason to playing with his shoes.I'm pretty sure that answered my question on whether he needed it or if he could control his own behavior. Hopefully this will answer the question for other parents on if they should or shouldn't try this.By the way I have tried putting him in the corner to taking things away,to yes even spanking him on his butt which is legal to control his behavior nothing worked.I admitt it's a horrible feeling when you can't control your child, when your told by people and teachers they would take 30 kids like my other kidsI felt like a failure as a parent,it was very hard for me to come to the conclusion that this was not just your typical behavior problem.I do hope we eventualy can distinguish the difference and figure out what causes it.I believe my son's problem occurred to lack of oxygen from his tonsil and adnoid problem which almost killed him.The worst part of that is most doctors refuse to do the this simple surgery on chidren under 3 yrs of age.I discovered my sons problem at 7months old and it took that long to get a doctor to address it who was astonished that my son could breathe at all and wasn't hospitized soonerfor the removal?
Just remove "In Youngest Kids In Class".
The statement would still be valid.
Exactly. ADHD is overdiagnosed, REGARDLESS of how old children are, or when their birthdays are, period. That's all their is too it.
There has been far too many overdiagnosing and mass drugging, and it needs to be stopped.
I wrote a paper in college about the large amounts of kids recently being diagnosed with ADD/ ADHD and whether it is even a real thing. My conclusoin was that the vast majority of cases are parents and teachers putting students on these drugs to help them with their concentration on things that are uninteresting. Like how they can sit down and quietly watch a Batman movie for a couple hours but for the life of them cannot read a book. In conclusion some kids are just hyper or dont like to pay attention... as it has been for forever. Its just that now we have drugs that can get kids to behave a little better. Aderol or Ritalin is just a drug that helps those others deal with the kids they dont want to.
So in other words, you started with a conclusion in mind, perhaps did a little Wikipedia viewing of material that supported your conclusion, and called that a college-level paper.
There isn't much doubt about the validity of ADHD as a real neurological condition with real basis in real stuff that's happening to real people in their very real brains. So your comment about "the vast majority" of cases being essentially made up because parents and teachers don't want to cope with their kids is, on its face, indefensible in any kind of analysis beyond the elementary school level.
Is ADHD overdiagnosed? Perhaps so. Are kids overmedicated? In my opinion, absolutely yes. My kid was diagnosed with ADHD (and in my opinion, the diagnosis is correct). However, at age 7, she is too young in my view for medication. Moreover, she has only been in behavioral therapy for a bit more than a month. The challenges she has - with focus, "executive functions," and most especially with interpersonal relationships and managing frustration - are things that can be addressed if we help her build the skills to address them.
Will medication play a part in her journey? I don't know. At some point it might be useful, but we know that while there are medications that can help with focus, they're not magic. Without the work she, her mom, and I need to do to build her decision-making skills, her emotional intelligence, her organization skills, and her ability to self-manage in terms of delaying gratification in order to get things done, she wouldn't succeed whether medication is involved or not.
It's really easy to be dismissive of things we don't understand or don't want to deal with. It's even easier to write a "college paper" based on a decision we made at some point and now want to go out and find evidence to support. This is the way that the vast majority, to use your phrase, of people do make decisions and build a position (just go look at any political discussion, for example, and you will see how people use their various affiliations to select and ignore various facts). It's a lot more difficult to look at a complex and challenging problem and try to separate what is scientific and defensible based on evidence.
Makessense - In other words your paper failed because you came to a conclusion that teachers put students on drugs. I have yet to meet a teacher who has diagnosed ADHD or prescribed drugs for a student. If a teacher does anything other than point out classroom behavior problem that is impacting the student's classroom success, they are over-stepping their expertise. Furthermore, any college student who wrote "Like how..... " in a sentence should be embarrassed.
JackMack... I came from a large family. I know how kids can misbehave and do things to draw attention. You have been snowed by the professionals.. Spank her butt if she doesn't do as she is suppose to. I can bet your one of the many parents who don't spank and only "reason" with your kid, am I correct? Bet I am. I raised 4 kids and I know that spanking hurts the parent as much as the child and there is a big big difference between spanking and abuse so don't even start with that. My kids are well behaved and they worked at school and made excellent grades. Seriously, stop feeding the medical profession and use the parenting skills taught for generations.
Joy57111 You are correct. As a parent of a very active 3 almost 4 year old son. I can agree with you from personal experience. However, the main thing is that the child needs to learn consequences. Further, the consequences have to be consistent not just because the parent is tired or needs time then. For a developing human being rules have to be written in stone, even when you feel you need to give in, you don't. You can't send mixed messages, because they, like most people, will then read what they want into them. We in the US definitely over medicate period. When doctors get perks like free vacations from pharm reps for prescribing a certain lab's product. One knows something is not right.
Let's not forget learning style. If you have a kinetic learn, the school don't want to teach to that learning style. A friends' son's principal was very proud of the fact that they figured out that he was a kinetic learn - then his parents were told to put him on drugs - or else. It was suggested that a teacher and a teacher's aid work a group of these kids to teach them ways to learn visually. You can bet that went over like a lead balloon. Educators aren't suppose to even mention drugs now. Maybe they get kick backs from the drug companies? Why not everyone else is.
Joy & M.Cab - one thing that's helpful to understand is that your personal experience and personal beliefs aren't the same as scientific research that's based on sound clinical principles, controls, and the gathering of evidence. My kid takes piano lessons and really dislikes playing scales in practice. So it would be easy for me to say, "all kids dislike playing scales," and I'd probably get a lot of agreement, but that doesn't make my position scientifically defensible or valid.
As for your extrapolations about our style of discipline, I'd only offer that in my case, you're both quite wrong. We have a lot of structure and the consequences for breaking our rules are swift, consistent, and clearly felt. We also have a kid who is just slower than most to develop effective social, organizational, decision-making, and impulse-control skills. This is why we take her to a therapist who is trained in helping kids like her to build those skills.
If you had bothered to read my post you might've noticed that I stated we're NOT medicating her. It's my opinion that whatever medication we gave her wouldn't be effective without the foundation of her learning the skills she needs. This is the approach my wife and I settled on after thinking it through, reading a lot of material with contradictory viewpoints, and talking with people who are more knowledgeable about these matters than we are.
It's so amazingly easy simply to judge others, and then to justify one's judgment with a selective review of "facts" or a selective attainment of evidence that supports one's own position. It is more difficult, in my opinion, to look at a challenge like this and try to plot a course that will yield a good outcome for one's child. Finally, it is even more difficult to bring some sense of compassion to the challenges that other people face. We are lucky indeed to have access to great research and great thinking, and also to great tools to handle these and other problems. The way that other people choose to deal with their challenges is not for me to judge, unless it hurts me or my family. The one thing that I know with absolute certainty is that I know very, very little, and the universe of potential knowledge is very, very great indeed.
Our spoiled overpaid teachers are quick to label children because they don't want to deal with anything and labeling brings $$$$$ from the feds and state govt's.
Teachers do not diagnose ADD or ADHD a doctor does. If a parent choses to medicate her child that is between the doctor and the family. If the parent dosn't know the law, they need to learn it. If you think teaching a class of kids is so easy, go back to school and do it.
Touche, TJHarris! And contrary to what little Mickey says...they don't make ENOUGH money! Especially for the crap they put up with from the lazy, hateful, self-serving brats of today.
There's no discipline. No respect.
And as for the ADHD diagnoses, I've been saying this for years. Get those kids outside to play, and stop medicating them to into a zombie state so you parents can go on with your lives as if they didn't exist. You'll soon find out they can RUN that excess energy off, and there's nothing wrong with them medically or psychologically.
Conway,
I have to agree and disagree with you. First, I whole-heartedly agree with your stance that teacher's are underpaid, but your sentence should have read "Especially for the crap they put up with from the lazy, hateful, self-serving brats of today and their lazy, self-serving parents." Actually, if you spent some time in a classroom, you'd see that there generally is plenty of discipline and respect on the part of the students. There is much less when it comes to the parents attitude to the teachers. At least up until about middle-school. Then things do begin to deteriorate with the student's attitude. But that's normal teenager stuff.
As for "running off that excess energy", I had a cub scout den that was mostly ADHD kids, something like 5 out of 8. We'd go on monthly campouts and would keep the day so busy that we literally wore them out. Guess what, those 5 boys still had problems with focus when it came time for campfire, and these were diagnosed and medicated kids. Not a one was a "zoned-out zombie". The meds helped them be normal kids most of the time, but since most dosages are designed to wearoff by dinner time so the kids can sleep, I guess you can understand why we had issues a campfire time.
Please, if you don't believe in ADHD, try and spend some "quality time" with some kids who've been diagnosed. Make sure you see them in both medicated and unmedicated states. Trust me, you'll become a believer.
I have thank you.
your wrong. .the teachers can do nothing to a student that refuses to behave or pay attention. The only recource a teacher has today is to send the offender to the principals office. For teachers sake you need to sit in a school and see for yourself what kind of brats you parents are raising today.
Overpaid and lazy teachers who don't want to deal with anything- you have no clue Mikeyknows because you know nothing about this. How about 20 yrs of teaching and my salary is no higher than 43,000. I deal with stuff all day- the 7th grader who might be pregnant, the boys who got themselves ready and walked in 10 degrees in a sweat jacket to school because mom is too drunk to get up. The boy who swears at every female who tries to discipline him because is mother is an abusive drug whore. I could go on and on. It's so easy to blame the teachers and schools. I have them 8 hrs a day- I can't undo what has been screwed up for generations.
I've never known ANY school to be in session for eight hours a day.
TJ and Conway, let me tell you a story about my niece.
She is athletic and very active. She also gets bored easily in class and has a tendency to talk too much in class. She is also a 4.0 student.
The school decided she had ADHD and had a medical professional that wasn't her doctor or even a doctor period put her on Ritalin. She was allergic to it and it would cause among other things severe muscle spasms that would cause her neck to twist to the point it almost looked like she had broken her neck. The cure for this wasn't taking her off Ritalin, it was giving her Valium injections to relax her muscles. The odds of a child under the age of 14 of having substance abuse issues after being exposed to such drugs as Valium is greater than 50%. So basically these so called professionals were flipping a coin with her future while injecting her with liquid Valium.
But it gets better. The school nurse and the teacher started deciding what her dose should be without my brother's and his wife's knowledge. They went to the school at one point and told the school that they wanted to take her off Ritalin because of all the side effects she was suffering. The school told her that if they did, that would be considered child abuse and they would call CPS and have her removed from the home.
My niece isn't the perfect child and my brother and sister in law are far from perfect parents but this is no way to deal with a 13 girl who is a 4.0 student, an active athletic child and happens to talk too much in class.
@TJHarris, just because teachers are not allowed to try and diagnose or label a child as having "ADHD", does not mean that many of them don't try and get away with it.
As far as I'm concerned, it should be illegal for a teacher to even insinuate, mention, or hint that a child has "ADHD.'
It is illegal-Federal and State (at least in Wisconsin)...if a teacher is actually "diagnosing" it then the school district is required to pay for the services. IF a school or school personnel are suggesting ADHD all the can legally do is tell a parent how the child is behaving and how severe/disruptive that behavior is. I teach 6th grade SPED students at a large (1100+ students) middle school. ADHD/ADD is a real diagnosis for a few students, for others it is the parents' excuse for their child's bad behavior. I had one boy who caught squirrels and then doused them in gas and lit them on fire to see how long it took to die...Mom said it was ADHD. I have no problem if a parent chooses not to medicate their child as long as they have a workable plan so that other students' educations are not disrupted (also guaranteed by Federal law). It is a lot of work, but that is my chosen career so I do it and enjoy the challenge of my students. Meds work only if they are combined with training so that the student learns to live with ADHD and strategies to make them successful students. AND no matter what road the parents of ADHD students chose to take they need to work in cooperation with the teacher and the teacher needs to work with them for the student's best interest.
John-tell them to get a lawyer and file a complaint against the DR/medical person. Ritalin is a Schedule 3 narcotic, it can not be prescribed for more than 30 days at a time and DR. are required to see patients at least bi-monthly to check progress and side effects. The school is also in violation of a whole slew of laws so they should contact the states Department of Education (in Wisconsin it is the Department of Public Instruction or DPI)
That's all they can do is complain about behavior. But as soon as they try and bring labels into it, it is a different thing ENTIRELY.
It's called overstepping their bounds at that point.
I believe that is what my post said...
Well....EXCUSE ME. Take the stick out of your ass...
I believe that is what I JUST SAID...
I'm guessing that the Canadian Government is wishing to reduce their cost of medicating ADHD kids...changing benchmarks can go a very long way in saving money toward diagnosis and treatment.
Medicating children is only for the parents that are lazy and dont want to discipline their children. Back in the 60's you didnt see any of this. I feel the majority of the kids are just spoiled and the parents tell the teachers that their their child is add/adhd just to get special treatment.
thank you for sharing your ignorance here. As you state, your comment is only your "feelings". ADD/ADHD is a real and valid diagnosis and simply disciplining a child who's brain is wired differently and cannot follow the same process as others will merely do further harm to these children and that harm will follow them into adulthood... eventually manifesting as depression and low self esteem.
Now... to the subject of the article, I'm certain ADD/ADHD is over-diagnosed. No big news there.
Back in the 60's they were labeled incorrigible or sent to special ed classes. Alot ended up in reform school. ADHD has nothing to do with discipline. I have two kids who are ADHD. My oldest has never been a discipline problem nor did she have behavior problems in school. She just couldn't finish things no matter how hard she tried. It wasn't until her younger brother was diagnosed and we learned more about the disorder that we realized she showed syptoms too. Boys get diagnosed more because they will act out more than girls. Both of them describe their brains as being in a sort of fog without medication. Yes there are children who are undisciplined, but that is not what ADHD is.
bmx mom.. how much time did you spend teaching your children before sending them off to school? I have a feeling you didn't spend much time at all and may have used electronics to pacify them. Alot of parents do. Your kids are probably not mature enough and that is the reason for their behavior and also the lack of teaching and involvement from you. Did you do a time out as well to discipline your kids? ..
I spent plenty of time teaching both kids. My son could read, write, count to 100 in three languages, and count change before starting kindergarten. They did not sit in front of the TV or play video games. They did play educational games on the computer however. I have always been very involved with my children and supplemented thier education even after they started school. They were raised with discipline. My son had behavior problems from the get go. He had no impulse control and would get way over stimulated at school. I worked closely with his teachers to find ways for him to cope with his excess energy. I tried all sorts of diet and behavior modification techniques, nothing worked. By the time he finished 8th grade we were at our wits end. I found a psychiatrist who specializes in treating children. My son was diagnosed as ADHD and ODD and started medication and behavior modification with a trained professional. It has made a world of difference for my son. The hyperactivity was a challenge when he was younger, but we dealt with that. His activity level decreased dramatically during middle school which is not uncommon. But he still struggled just to pass his classes. He is now in high school and has no behavior problems. Homework is still a big problem though.
Go figure.
I don't know if it's the MSN reporting, or the study itself, but the methodology here sounds fishy. They don't say anything about when these kids were tested. They mentioned sometime between age 6 and 12, but not in the relation of the testing date to their birth date or school start. In other words, were all kids required to be tested at the same time of year? That seems to be what the results are suggesting. If the kids are tested randomly throughout the year, one would expect a more uniform distribution of results. They don't mention any correlation of the age (in months) at the time of testing to the results. To take this study as presented here, one would have to assume that they grouped all kids that were 6 year and 3 months at test time together and then noticed this pattern. And if they did that, then all you could really conclude is that kids born in the fall are more likely to have ADHD then those born in winter.
As presented, it appears they are saying that if you test every kid in a class at the beginning of the school year, the younger kids will be more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD. The only conclusion you can draw from that is that you have the wrong person evaluating the testing.
As a teacher I would agree that ADHD is over diagnosed. However, it still is a medical condition and does happen in some children. That being said sometimes medication makes a huge difference in social and classroom behavior. It has nothing to do with your children being more active than I care to handle, as some posters have stated. In my classroom it has more to do with the following of directions, mainly keeping ones hands to themselves and following basic safety rules. However this is only my personal experience and how my classroom is run.
Impulsivity is one of the main symptoms of ADHD. My son had practically no impulse control before he was put on medication. He was constantly in trouble at school over minor things because he couldn't control himself. His behavior record is spotless this year.
and yet again.. did you spend time with your child from birth to school age? Or did you plunk them down in front of the tv so you could do what you wanted? Did you spank them on the butt for misbehaving or did you put them on the time out corner? Most of these kids behavior can be link right back to the parents.
bmx,
"constantly in trouble at school over minor things" tells me the teachers could have had more patience.
@bmxmom, I agree with Laura and Joy....."trouble over minor things".....NO child should be "getting in trouble" over "minor" things...just shows that the teacher is incompetent.
The teachers weren't incompetent and some had the patience of a saint. He was moving all the time all day. He played with anything he could get his hands on. Yes he was bored, but he couldn't pay attention to save his life. He had no implse control. He would do something, get corrected for it and do it over again, and again. Consequences had no meaning for him. Normal kids do something, get punished and learn not to do it again. He never did. He was a good kid who really wanted to do things right, he just couldn't control himself. The teachers also had to stay on him constantly to keep him on task. As the hyperactivity level fell off as he got older, the attention and impulse issues became very apparent. It's hard to watch a very bright kid barely pass school.
That describes my almost 6 year old son to a T! He can do something 10 times, have the same consequence 10 times and he STILL does it the 11th time.
Isn't it up to the parents to TEACH their children instead of being "corrected" for impulse control? I don't understand what you mean by correct, could you explain?
Do you mean punish, or try to teach them how to control their impulses?
bmxmom, you say it is hard for a very hyperactive kid with attention and impulse issues to barely pass school...it's probably because the medications are zombifying him.
I'll bet that if teachers knew how to grab the students' attention better, and get them interested in the subject, there would be no "sypmtoms" of ADHD or ADD, because they would pay attention. The reason they stare off into space, or fidget, is because they are bored with that teacher's class, and I know, because I was the same way as a child.
Of course it's ADHD. Because it isn't that my kid is a brat it's a disease.
My friends 6 year old daughter was recently diagnosed with ADD. I call BS. She's 6, of course she has the attention span of a gnat. All 6 year olds do.
Quit diagnosing kids with nonsensical diseases and STOP putting them on medication if it isn't life saving.
If you have children and you are reading this, listen up:
"OMG my 8 year old can't sit still for more than a few minutes and cannot stay focused on boring crap!!" This is called "BEING AN 8 YEAR OLD!" It is NOT ADHD for god's sake! Stop feeding them bs drugs! Send them outside to play!! Holy @!$%# man.
In fact, sending them outside to play is a GREAT idea. Studies show that kids with ADHD have significant improvement of focus and self-management after being outside in green space. So, going out to play frisbee in the park, or to fly a kite, or play a ballgame, or just running around on the grass for a while actually does have a real and measurable impact.
People often say, "ADHD can't be real, because these kids can play a video game for two hours without taking a break, but they can't sit still five minutes to read a book." It's a red-herring and thus a logical fallacy. Video games and other electronic entertainments provide a constant and constantly-changing barrage of multi-sensory stimuli - just what is "rewarded" most by the brains of people with ADHD. This sets up a kind of feedback loop in which the more someone gets those stimuli, the more they "need" them for their brains to send the chemical messages that all is well. It's rather like drug addiction in that sense.
Outdoor play is similarly stimulating in that it is multi-sensory. I don't know why it is so effective in helping kids especially with focus, concentration, and self-mangement, but the research looks pretty compelling.
So, great idea: send them outside to play.
Jack, I've been reading about those studies also, very interesting stuff. Exercise elevates dopamine and norephenephrine levels in the brain producing an effect similar to taking the stimulants. In a study I read, ADHD children did an exercise routine every day before school for an hour. After a while, some of the children were able to reduce the amount of medication they needed and some went off medication completely. In my opinion, I believe there is a direct link between the rise in ADHD rates and the reduction in recess and PE programs. When I was in school, we had PE everyday, now kids are lucky to get it a couple times a week if even that Some get none at all. Also, I know parents who do not let thier children run and play outside because they are afraid it's not safe.
Jack, I agree with the bit about exercise helping immensely, however be sure to pick the right sports so that it will help. My own HD child tried baseball, but eventually gave it up becuse the game moves to slow, at least at younger levels. He was constantly doing something else, watching butterflies, looking at stuff on the ground, etc., to properly concentrate on the game. Of course, getting stuck in right-field all the time probably didn't help.
I've coached soccer for about 15 years. I've had a few ADD'ers. Soccer is a great sport for them to play. It forces concentration. Yeah, yeah, I know soccer is for chicks and "dem damn furriners", but trust me, its a tough game to play. Kids with concentration problems can accel at it. I had a girl with ADHD for 6 years. She played soccer and fast pitch for me. Much better on the pitch than on the diamond.
ggggggggggggggggggooooooooooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllllllll
I bring nothing to the table :D
Most kids with behavior problems are boys. I strongly believe in starting boys a year later in school. I have done that with both of mine and they are doing great in school. Being one of the oldest in the classroom gives them a big boost in self esteem because the other boys turn to them for leadership, they are better equiped to deal with bullies, stress, and seem to understand math and science better then the younger boys...all that adds up to more confident well behaved boys.
Yeah, and I guess girls really could use that extra year head start on the boys. For some reason, even all these years after the women's lib movement, they just can't seem to hack it...
No.. girls the same age seem to be more mature and handle themselves better. I wasnt going to say it but since you started it.....girls are just smarter then boys :P
Yes, you were so right to start your kids a year late. Wish I had done that with both of my boys who have summer birthdays. Infact I will be moving out of state and having the second boy repeat 5th grade. He is a "C" student but struggles with reading and writing. He also does boarderline to poorly on those standardized tests. After checking with the new school, they have no problem with him registering again as a 5th grader because it will be to his benefit. As a parent, I could give a crap less about the social stigma because it his life and no one else will pay his bills later in life. To get the best education in junior high and high school, he will step back and reinforce the education he already has plus build on the weaknesses. The expectations are to demanding for small kids especially boys and I think all boys need to be 6 years old when they start Kindergarten or very close to turning six years old. My second boy turned 5 years old only one month before starting Kindergarten making him the youngest boy which definitely hurts his self esteem, he gets bullied because he is smaller than others, and reads fine at a 4th grade level in the 5th grade. Being an entire year behind the other kids in his class does not mean he has ADHD, it just means he has grasped that level in the brain yet. He will fit right in next year with his new class, in a new state. Parents have it to easy to just go and get ADHD medicine. Take a step back and quit comparing your kid to others that are exceeding in classes because many are 6 -11 months older than your child and that is a long time for learning abilities. I for one will not even consider ADHD mind altering medicine. These are poisoning children that do not need them and what they need are parents to do what is best for their child by giving him or her more time to learn without being so stressed. I for one will not support the drug companies and my kids will not be dependent upon drugs to get them through each day of their life. Parents need to take the attitude of I don't care what other kids and parents say or talk about, I am going to do what is best for my kid and not worry about anyone's else opinions.
I agree! Just because you give your son an extra year before starting school doesnt mean anything! Doesnt mean he has problems or is slow. It does the oppisite! I think it gives them more of an edge with dealing with school issues. By the time they get into high school they dont go around asking the other boys how old they are!!
Off the topic...I think the kids need to wait another year before getting their drivers licenses!!! Another year to mature. Bet we'd have alot less accidents and deaths if we made them wait!
Ahurrrrrrrdurrrrrrrrr, you don't F-ing say? You diagnose a 5-year-old with a mental disorder because he doesn't want to be quiet, sit down, and take instructions?
Someone needs to test whatever behavioral psychologists were diagnosing these kids for Down's Syndrome.
I've seen many cases when it was simply just a lack of discipline from the parents or lack of responsiblity put upon the child for their actions. I do realize there are some children with actual chemical imbalances that cause this behavior. I had a girlfriend with 3 children from a marriage and all of them were diagnosed with ADHD. However it was due more to them being raised in a bad relationship and developed bad habits that were almost impossible to break. Many kids just lack proper parental guidance.
Exactly electricliquid, The little b@stard can't behave in school? From the way parents let kids act while out shopping I'm not surprised.
As an adult that has had ADHD all my life, I could understand how this might be a problem. However, once the step is made into medication, especially amphetamine based medication, those that have this condition and those that do not become apparent.
Consider the Meth crisis in this country, "Tweaking" is exactly what amphetamines do to someone that is not ADHD or ADD. If you give anyone, child or adult, Ritalin without them having ADD or ADHD, they crack out and bounce off the walls. There has been some documentation of suburban housewives actually getting their children diagnosed with ADHD, so they can take the child's Ritalin, vs using elicit drugs.
I have to disagree with Robert about the numbers being 25% of reported diagnosis, but I am sure that it is over-diagnosed for many reasons. The growth of the condition though, is very real, and it is becoming more widespread. Blame information overload, alcoholic parents, chemicals in our food or any of 100 things that may be causing it, but it is getting worse.
Is this a condition? Or is the current education system (and parents) unable to cope with children that do not learn like most? 20 years ago didn't we call children that were brilliant but hard to teach "Special" ? I have an IQ over 140, but I was almost dead last in elementary/middle school. My parents did not know crap about how to teach someone smarter then they were, and forget public schools being able to handle kids like I was.
Perhaps people should be focusing on what is causing this, instead of trying to dismiss the growth of ADD/ADHD as "Misdiagnosis".
A.H.-Engineer: Well, with your name 'Engineer', I realize you are probably brilliant HOWEVER I don't think drugging you with amphetamines because you had an IQ over 140 and your parents couldn't teach you because you were way smarter than them was the answer to the problem. These children that are on these drugs hate them. They make them feel terrible. They can't eat and they don't sleep. As stated above true ADD or ADHD does not have a medical diagnosis. A doctor or teacher guesses. This is not a good solution. IF a student is brilliant, as yourself, then he/she needs to be supported by putting in a classwith other brilliant students and a different type of teaching should be available for them with a brilliant teacher to boot.
A child can be gifted and have true ADHD. I know, I have two who are and know several others. Do you know many children on ADHD drugs? My kids don't hate them and they don't feel terrible. Luckily they have no side effects whatsoever. They don't like having to take medication, but they know the difference it has made in thier every day lives and are thankfull for them. My daughter was in the gifted program all through school, she barely graduated. She is on medication now and in college and she is finally passing. ADHD has nothing to do with IQ, it has to do with brain function. You can be absolutley brilliant, but if you can't concentrate or finish anything, it won't matter.
My humble theory is that children are exposed to way too much stimulation in their early years, and they become dopamine junkies. The human brain doesn't fully develop up until age 22-24years of age. The first 5 to 6 years are done at break neck speed it builds pathways and later on those pathways have to be used.
I am now 48 years old. My hyperactivity was so extreme in kindergarten that my teacher literally tied me to a chair and taped my mouth shut in an attempt to calm me down. Obviously, not an acceptible response to an active 5 year old but demonstrates how difficult I could be. If ADD/ADHD had been labels used when I was a child, I most certainly would have been classified as such.
Most of my hyperactivity during childhood was due to boredom as most of the school work seemed easy or a waste of time. Since ADD/ADHD weren't used at that time, I was just considered a child that needed to be challenged and my teachers understood that. They found out what types of subjects interested me and assigned extra work related to those subjects in order to keep me in my seat and keep me somewhat quiet.
I now work with youth and know a number of them who have been "diagnosed" with ADD or ADHD. Most of them consider themselves to stupid to learn. This has led many of them to be less social, bullied and low acheivers. Most of their teachers also have "psuedo" labeled them as stupid and set very low expectations for these youth. As such, most of the youth only work to reach these low expectations self-fulfilling the teachers expectations.
I consider most of this related to lazy teachers, administrations, and school districts who to not want to work hard with these youth. It is far easier for them to place "labels" and then teach down to them rather than finding a way to engage the students. Yet I have seen many of these youth spend upwards of 10-15 hours at one time mastering a video game that interests them.
Good on you Todd-and good luck!
ADD/ADHD is a lazy parents' dream. Its not my fault, the kid has a disease. My son got spanked. Not often, but enough.
I am not certain whether or not such a thing as ADHD exists. I think it has more to do with kids staying indoors more, getting their entertainment from video devices, limited socialization, and an overextended bunch of parents. There may be some people who have legitimate neurological or chemistry problems, but if I hear ADHD, I automatically quit listening and assume b.s. They should find if there are actual causitive problems, or if the kids are just acting up because they are out of control. I just find it strange that it seems like every parent I talk to now has kids with this disorder, and yet seemingly none of my peers or my now 23 yr old daughters peers had something like this. I think a lot of this stems from the culture we created where we like to blame problems on anyone or thing other than ourselves.
This does not surprise me in the least.
A child who is born in December (for a school that starts in September) is not as ready for school as a child who was born months earlier. When we are talking about children from ages 0-10, months DO matter in their mental, emotional, social and physical development.
I've noticed how every kid is ADHD now - why? Is it because our ability to diagnose it has really improved that much in recent years? Or is it because calling a child ADHD enables us to medicate them and "calm them down" instead of teaching them to behave themselves.
Why are girls diagnosed with ADHD less than boys? Because girls (generally) mature faster socially and emotionally than boys of the same age. Boys are generally more physical-oriented, girls are more social and emotional oriented. This is just generally.
To fix this problem that is prevalent in the US as well, we should have a requirement that children meet certain criteria before we send them to kinder. There should be a strict set of requirements that require the child enter pre-k unless they are able to meet the requirements (sitting quietly during reading, playing nicely with other children, etc.) of kinder when they are around the age of entry. Honestly, some children develop faster than others. Those children that excel should be allowed early entry into kinder and grade schools if they meet the requirements. Those who do not and need extra time should be given extra time without the stigma of "being held back" (holding them back from Kinder isn't really horrible, but try telling someone you were held back and see their reaction - "You were too stupid to pass kinder? What, you didn't take a nap on time?").
dope them up and send them to school its the American way
I tooted that lazy parent horn for years...then, I got a granddaughter. From a little bitty thing, she was quicker than other kids her age. She had no fear. As in the store, we would hide when she ran away, thinking she would look back and be scared...not her. She looked back every once in a while, but she would have run to Chicago before she wondered where her mom and granny were.
Then came school...first preschool. A very nice teacher told her mother there were ADHD tendancies, but wait.
Then, kindergarten...My grandaughter told the teacher after the first week, "If I'd known kindergarten was going to be like this, I wouldn't have come."
She came home and told her mom that the worst thing that could happen was to get a note home. She got her first note home after about 2 weeks. She was devistated.
Her father, while reading about ADHD in his daughter came to the conclusion that he had ADHD, also. He said he was having de ja vu with the problems his daughter was having. He said he remembered sitting on his hands with his whole body trembling, just trying to be quiet and still in class.
So, it is real. On the medication, my granddaughter is quiet and attentive. Now, at 9, she is learning coping skills on weekends when she doesn't take her meds.
One point, the first "child" psychiatrist gave her meds, then she had trouble going to sleep. So, he wanted to give her sleeping pills....My daughter changed doctors.
I have a child that is in the process of being diagnosed with ADHD. I assure you, it is real. We have changed parenting tactics, we run a pretty strict household, and set limits. My son does not learn from the discipline. We can tell him the same thing over and over and over, give him time out, take away privileges and spank and he still does the same things. He's vastly different from our second child-even growing up in the same house with the same rules. There is something different about him, there's no doubt about that. His brain is definitely wired differently from his siblings and from other classmates. Sometimes, it really is the child and not just a lazy parent.
BS
its not.
ADHD is NOT real but the symptoms that get labeled ADHD are. Given that there is no objective means of diagnosing, that many more children are diagnosed with it now than ten years ago, and that labeling kids has been a goldmine for psychiatrists and the drug companies alike, all sorts of red flags should be raised. It is not the parents that are lazy (usually) it is the doctors for whom labeling the child is a quick fix. Look for allergies, food sensitivities, lack of sufficient physical exercise, lack of understanding of school subjects, nutritional deficiences, even parasites. Seek and ye shall find. There are REAL physical and environmental causes of the symptoms of ADHD that need to be found and addressed.
Janet, I have had the opposite experience. My son showed signs of ADHD before five. Two psychologists and a doctor did not want to diagnose him as ADHD and I spent years trying alternative diets, eliminating foods, sugar, additives, dyes etc.. all to no avail. Somethings helped, but not enough. He had no impulse control, was extremely smart, but could barely pass anything. It took until he was 14 to get a proper diagnosis because they wanted to rule out boredom or other causes. Since he's been on medication it's like night and day. He still struggles in school, but that's mainly due to too much homework. He's calm, can follow directions, the teachers are amazed at how he can now sit in class and pay attention. There was no lack of discipline just a lack of focus. The teacher would be in front of the class lecturing, but he couldn't really hear her over the clock across the room ticking, the person sitting next to him breathing, the sound of pencil against paper, someone else moving their feet. That is how my son described it to me.
It's old, but I thought I'd comment again.
Like BMX mom, we did all of that-no food dyes, elimination diet, no artificial chemicals, use only green cleaners, worked to get allergies (dust mites) under control, vitamins, natural supplements, behavior techniques, extra exercise, organized sports, more structure, less structure, more chores, less chores, more one on one time, etc. The ONLY thing that has worked? Adderall. It's like BMX mom described: night and day. We can watch the medication wear off and he's right back to his normal symptoms. On medication, he's a delightful, pleasant, child-the toddler/baby we remember, not the moody, argumentative grade schooler he had become. Medication has literally changed our lives-for the better. It's certainly done wonders for his self-esteem.
ADHD is an excuse for poor parenting! I am a retired pharmacist and I have made it my life's work to combat doctors, teachers, school nurses, school psychologists, administrators and any one else who is or was a proponent of medication for ADHD! I also raised four children who were always the youngest in their classes (graduation ages...16years, 17 years and 6 months, 17 years and 7 months and 17 years and 5 months). All graduated in the top ten percent of their classes, the three oldest with college degrees in various fields, one with advanced degrees, and the youngest graduating this year as 7th out of 183, with a full academic scholarship to a state university. It's parenting, it's diversification of activities (sports, art, music, and religion), it's being there when they need you, it's not listening to the blotted bureaucracy of the public schools, it is setting goals for your children (attainable goals), it means putting your children first and setting goals for yourself and most of all it is not medication!!!!
I agree.....my post below...
my son and i were both diagnosed with ADD. both of us went on meds. It didnt take long for me to realize.....I'm poorly disciplined. I made lifestyle changes and taught him and we are off the meds. Bottom line......a lack of self discipline is what most people have. You can overcome it.....do the treatment as a method not a solution. Learn to be responsible and disciplined. Its a great life.