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Subscribe to RSSIn just 10 years the number of children diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, rose dramatically, a large new study suggests.
Overall, about 5 percent of nearly 843,000 kids ages 5 to 11 were diagnosed between 2001 and 2010 with the condition that can cause impulsive behavior and trouble concentrating. But during that time, rates of new ADHD diagnoses skyrocketed 24 percent – jumping from 2.5 percent in 2001 to 3.1 percent in 2010.
That’s according to a comprehensive review of medical records for children who were covered by the Kaiser Permanente Southern California health plan. Rates rose most among minority kids during the study period, climbing nearly 70 percent overall in black children, and 60 percent among Hispanic youngsters, according the study published in JAMA Pediatrics. Among black girls, ADHD rates jumped 90 percent.
Rates remained highest in white children, climbing from 4.7 percent to 5.6 percent during the study period.
The biggest factor driving this increase may be the heightened awareness of ADHD among parents, teachers, and pediatricians, says the study’s lead author Dr. Darios Getahun, a scientist with Kaiser Permanente. For kids who need help, that’s a good thing, Getahun says.
“The earlier a diagnosis is made, the earlier we can initiate treatment which leads to a better outcome for the child,” he says.
Unlike previous studies in which researchers relied on reports from parents and teachers to say whether a child had ADHD, the new study tracked kids who were diagnosed according to ADHD medical codes entered by child and adolescent psychiatrists, developmental and behavioral pediatricians, child psychologists and neurologists.
ADHD is one of the most commonly diagnosed childhood disorders. Experts estimate that anywhere from 4 percent to 12 percent of school-age children are affected, many of whom continue to suffer from the disorder into adulthood.
Rates of diagnosis in the new study were greater in families with higher incomes, with nearly three-quarters of kids with ADHD coming from families that earned more than $50,000 a year.
“Higher rates of ADHD observed in affluent, white families likely represent an effort by these highly educated parents to seek help for their children who may not be fulfilling their expectations for schoolwork,” Getahun and his co-workers write.
Boys still outnumber girls 3 to 1 in ADHD diagnoses, but the gap appears to be closing among black girls.
“The increasing rate of ADHD among girls is an interesting finding and could represent an effort by parents to get more help for their daughters,” the authors say.
There was no change in the rate among Asian kids, but Getahun suspects this may have something to do with culture. Asians, as a rule, have been less likely to use mental health services and are more likely to discontinue therapy despite having equal access to care, Getahun says.
A child development specialist unaffiliated with the new study says he suspects that increased awareness of ADHD may have contributed to the increasing rate of diagnosis.
“Heightened professional awareness in general and improved efforts to detect ADHD exert an influence, but we cannot tell the magnitude of that,” says Alan Kazdin, the John M. Musser Professor of Psychology and Child Psychiatry at Yale University.
With all the coverage of the condition in the media, parents and teachers now have a better sense of what signs to look for, Kazdin says.
“Heightened awareness in the media, by parents and by teachers, too, may play a role. A child who in previous years just was said not to be able to control himself might now be more finely described.”
Related stories:
- Childhood ADHD may limit adult achievements
- ADHD overdiagnosed in youngest kids in class
- Number of women on ADHD meds soars
Leave a Comment:
I sometimes suffered from ADHD as a kid. My mother would say, "Do you want me to tell your father what you did?"
That usually cured it.
If so many people have it when does it become considered normal?
Look its just kids ignoring there parents !
ADHD has always existed...it's called being a normal f'ing KID.
With more stimulus in games, portable games, smart phones, social media, etc...OF COURSE concentration is down.
Maybe if the parents got off their own social media accounts and paid attention to their kids and made them focus on their school work and other things, we'd realize this is nothing more then being a fricking kid.
Follow the money trail.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uYq2XyK4xk
Go to 1:42 (language) and just listen to Louis C.K. (comedian) talk about stimulus and kids today and how bad parenting is. And you wondering why kids are so f'd up.
LCK hit's the nail on the head so accurately and yet doctors refuse to basically go back to basics.
ADHD in kids jumps 24 percent in a decade, study shows
This is because the public can now diagnose your kids as having ADHD even before the Docs get their hands on em.
I had one of my neighbor tell me "I think your 3 year old has ADHD because he ran over my son with his 3 wheeler and didnt apologise"....I was like, well dude, sh!t happens, next time tell him to get out the way
ADHD is bull@!$%# made up so doctors can put your kid on a pill that will permanently damage their brain. The ONLY god damn thing that has increased is stupid people not disciplining their kids and greedy ass pharmasuetical pieces of @!$%#.
Is this the "my-kid-isn't-perfect-doctor-so-what's-his-diagnosis-and-give-him-a-pill-to-make-him-perfect" disease? Maybe if parents tried parenting verses over indulging maybe the rate would be a little lower.
The back of dad's hand usually was all it took. No medication required - except maybe iodine sometimes.
We fostercared for several years. mostly teens. Every single one came to our home on drugs for ADHD and other behavior issues. Most left on no drugs. We gave them the attention and dicapline they craved. I am not going to say that no kids actually have ADHD because some really do, but I will say for certain that is is terribly over diagnosed and over treated. Many parents and teachers fail at the guidance of thier kids and look for easy solutions to issues that grow from lack of parenting and teaching skills. Kids want to be kids not adults at 9 or 10 but many parents today turn over socializing to computers,cell phones and video games and forget thier kids need them in thier lives to be fulfilled and it doesn't cost a dime to do it.
This is a cruel and selfish trend by parents too lazy or afraid to actually raise their children right.
We ALL have trouble concentrating when we have no fear of what will happen when we don't!
teachers keep telling me that i should have my 8 year old son tested. im not going to put my son on medication that will change who he is. ive seen kids on these meds before and it alters there personality. i love my son how he is. i told them it was never an option. if that made there job harder then im sorry its harder. hes 8 years old, what do they want. at home when his grades suffer we take away the x box no tv and we go over the material he is having trouble with. if you medicate your child more power to ya. im not going to. they are children. they are loud and dont pay attention. this isnt something new. people not wanting to deal with it is what is new. i also dont want to teach my kids at an early age that the answer to problems are found in pills.
ADHD/ADD has got to be the most over diagnosed "condition" among children. If a kid is a little more active then he gets labelled and medicated into submission. The medical profession is doing massive long term psychological damage to an incredible number of kids by dosing them into submission with psychiatric meds whose long term effects are not even clearly established. It is starting to come out now that these meds cause long term psychiatric problems that are far worse than anything they supposedly treat. The biggest problem is that we have dumbed down our education system so that every child can be a success and this has resulted in the smarter kids getting bored silly. When they get bored they stop paying attention and the cause disruptions. Rather than the teacher dealing with their failure to keep these brighter kids engaged the teacher labels them as ADHD. Then the school districts give the parents a choice of medicating their kids into submission or having them thrown out of school. I will not go so far as to say that ADHD/ADD does not exist, I am sure that there is some small number of kids who truly have this problem. There are also some kids who are more active and outgoing than others and this is a perfectly normal personality variation, not a psychiatric disease. It is dealt with through proper parenting to teach appropriate behavior in different situations, not by medicating the kids. ADHD/ADD is being greatly over-diagnosed in this push to have all kids fit one set mold. It is the differences in people that makes for a healthy, balance society, not a forced conformity to some arbitrary norm established by so-called experts. Ten or twenty years from now the true impact of the insane push for conformity and over-diagnosis will really show up in the form of huge numbers of adults with psychiatric problems cause by the overuse of these ADHD meds.
I am generally a fan of studies and at least this one was done with medical professionals. But there's been so much over diagnosis reported, such a huge pharmacy push to put kids on drugs that soak their brains in chemicals not even proven to help them just to make a buck, and so much 'everybody wins' parental societal bullsh**t going around I find it hard to give the ADHD community credibility anymore. Sadly, it hurts the kids who authentically have it the most, because nobody bothers to separate them from kids who are just acting like regular kids.
It is the chemical version of wrapping your knuckles with a ruler until you are disfigured for life.
citation?
I totally agree except that we've been doing this for 15 or 20 yrs already and we are seeing the effects. Is it not true that most, not all but most of the kids involved in the recent high profile acts of violence were either currently on or recently off of these kinds of drugs? I know from personal experience that kids immitate what they see. Monkey see monkey do. How many cliched images have we seen with the little girl trying on mommies clothes, the little boy that is trying shave all because they saw their parents doing these things. Everytime a new movie comes out the next day the kids at the bus stop are recreating the cool moves that they saw. It doesn't stop there, around the water cooler every monday people are trying to be the first to bust out with the new catch phrase. Look at our advertizing: want to be like Mike-better get Hanes. A new James Bond movie comes out and all of asudden there's a run on the watch he's wearing and don't even try to buy a Aston Martin or Audi.
So you have a 24/7 steady stream of violence, apathy and avorice, coupled with a lack of parental guidence-remember what PG stood for?- add to that a celebrety culture of do what I want with no percieved consequenses throw in a couple of years on psychotropic drugs and it's not too hard to understand how some of these things happen. Why may always elude us but the path to wanton random acts of violence is clearly marked. Alot of this is due to the fact that we now have second and third generations of kids having by kids, raised by kids. They don't know anything other than their own experiences which unfortunately includes a great many hours spent watching "reality" shows that basically show them how to behave. If they want to be on TV that is. Of course the parents are off in different directions trying to get their own "groove" on. It is hard hard work to raise a child. Since I don't have kids I will never fully appreciate all the sacrifices that my parents made for me. Just being there, not going out and "having a life" like other adults, I know that their lives would have been alot more fun if they didn't have to raise a child. My parents were old school, I was rewarded when I was good and punished when I was bad. Right or wrong they did their best. When I walk around today and see the kids hanging out, listen to how they talk and speak to each other, how they behave it is obvious that alot of young people today have never been disiplined or been told "No". This is why they are unprepared to function in a world that does not revolve around them, oh wait it does revolve around them.
ADHD is the disease of the month. It's an excuse for parents and educators when kids do badly.
It's an excuse to keep kids drugged and under control.
And we wonder why there's so much drug use in this country and so much violence among our young.
I think the trend is because school don't expect kids to act like kids anymore. The expectations of the students at the schools is beyond ridiculous. Material is just thrown at them and they are just expected to know it, they don't succeed, well they must have ADHD, give them drugs and turn them into zombies.
When one of my son's teachers suggested testing I said, 'What for, I'm never going to put him on medication for YOU". That was the last time anyone ever mentioned it to me.
Yog, I just had my 45th birthday last Friday...they've been drugging kids like this since before I was a kindergartener was back in the early 70's.
Actually the Flu is the disease of the month, but I digress..
A lot of people here have made very incorrect assumptions about mental health. And we wonder why mental health care is so poor in this country and kids go around shooting other kids. Here's a few myths dispelled:
1) "Hitting your kid works" No, it has been shown time and time again, in just about every animal every studied including people, that negative reinforcement does not modify behavior as effectively as positive.
2) "If my kid gets tested he will come home a pill-popping zombie" No, modern mental health approaches stress intervention, the earlier the better. This is a customized plan of action for each child designed to promote successful behavior. Medications are always a last resort. If you're really worried, take your kid to a psychologist, not a psychiatrist. They can't prescribe medication.
3) "ADHD is the trendy diagnosis so doctors can make more money" No, the recent increase is because we have a better understanding of the disease and its symptoms, We have better trained mental health care professionals, and we know that early intervention is one key to success.
4) "Kids are kids, there's nothing wrong with them." Sometimes! But there are defined metrics which are used to diagnose the 2-3% of children who actually do suffer from ADHD. Those children need special attention and early intervention to overcome any mental deficits.
It's extremely SAD and borderline child abuse if you refuse to get your child tested for a disease because you are either scared or uneducated about the result you may hear. Would you withhold testing or treatment for any other disease???
Guess what else is up in the last decade? Artificial sweeteners, Processed Foods, etc.... Its a giant rat race to the end......
Such crap! Lazy parents, lazy doctors and mostly lazy teachers. Most kids diagnosed are boys. Most elementary school teachers are female. Those teachers do not understand ants in their pants boys. My husband was one, my two sons were and now my grandson is. They are just highly active and highly intelligent boys. Stop trying to drug them so they sit quietly at their desks.
BS. They need some more attention from their useless parents. By the way, don't spare the rod, that will get their friggin attention alright.
The story "ADHD in kids jumps 24% in a decade"......coinsides with other story: "Bad parenting jumps 24% in a decade."
I have worked with special needs kids. While ADHD is real, it is extremely rare, from my experiences working with those "diagnosed" with it. The overwhelming, vast majority are naughty kids raised by bad parents (who are always on the take).
When I was in school, back in the stoneages, kids who today would be diagnosed with ADHD were quickly cured by parents and teachers who used a bit of physical treatment, if you get my drift. And parents expected teachers to do it, rather than suing teachers as is done today (by bad parents). A little slap, and the "disability" was cured, no drugs necessary. The kids grew up to be decent, functioning adults. But not today. Call them "disabled" when most are not, fill them up with drugs and get money (from you and me) to "support" them.
MmmMmmBeer
I've known 2 people that were diagnosed with ADD-- in fact, they were diagnosed with ADAD (Attention Deficit Aggressive Disorder). Both of them despised their medication and in neither instance did it promote better behavior. One decided it was brilliant fun to chase everyone in his house around with a claw hammer-- and woe to he who thought he was joking, for they were dealt a terrible thwack! The other was eventually placed in a corrective "school" where he was beaten in the kidneys until he passed out the first night he was there (initiation, you know).
You can ask either one of them today whether their experience with Ritalin (and a cocktail of other drugs that were prescribed later) was beneficial in their lives and you'd hear a resounding "No." It ranks among their worst experiences. Today, neither of them are on any kind of medication nor do they seek therapy. They both own their own homes and have successful professional lives. The only thing they learned was not to trust the system... well, that and Ritalin pills sell for between $5-$20 in the halls of your average American high school (depending on dose).
Let's see... side effects... side effects... hmm.. Suicidal thoughts? Hey! Let's give this pill to depressed, overactive teenagers with violent tendencies and see how that works out, shall we? Good thinking, America. >< Facepalm ><
@cheetah-822547
Lots of good points being made here, but this^ is what it comes down to.
The rampant diagnosis of ADHD in kids is mostly about getting your kids hooked on pharmaceutical drugs and having you pay the bills. There are not that many people (or any age) with "real" ADHD. Its all about selling you more drugs to keep big pharma going.
This is what you get when you allow a children's culture of sit on your ass and peck on your phone, instant gratification, and parents who won't enforce any rules or discipline, because it's HAAARRRRDDDDDDDD. <sniff> Today's parents are so wrapped up in their own millenial search for easy gratification that they pass it on to their kids. Then they want drugs to solve their problems for them. No surprise.
Um, that's not a real diagnosis in the DSM-IV. There are kids that have ADHD that are also agressive, however, ADAD is not an official diagnosis.
If there weren't so many drugs prescribed to kids, less mass shootings would occur.
http://www.cchrint.org/2012/07/20/schoolshootings-drugs/
I was diagnosed with this well before the last decade. GET ON MY LEVEL, FOOLS!!!!
Seriously though, I'm surprised it took them this long to figure out that more people had it than they originally thought, which was not nearly as much as there really were. I mean how many people do you know who are always spaced out, don't pay attention, and can't sit still? I have long suspected that many of the people I know, including in my own family, have this condition despite not necessarily being diagnosed with it. Maybe I was just aware of it because I have it and was diagnosed early, but it seems really obvious to me.
Pharmaceuticals are paying doctors to push drugs on to the kids today. That's where the money is now.
Pharmaceutical companies are paying doctors cash to diagnose kids with adhd in order to sell their drugs.
If I threw a temper-tantrum when i was a kid, mu mom or dad would tell me to cut it out or they will give me something to throw a temper-tantrum about.
Boy oh boy, did I straighten up real quick.
In my small town Iowa, there are kids here that seem to have adha, gets kicked out of school, then all of a sudden their adhd is ok, they text, drink soda, party, and smoke pot.
As soon as they go back to school, they all of a sudden have adhd all over again and get kicked out for another week.
They also get to collect SSI checks as well. A mother in my town, all four of her kids have adhd, and they all get SSI checks from the state and taxpayers.
Watch the film below. Very informative on how Pharmaceutical companies and doctors are pushing these drugs on to the kids today for profits.
Truly a scary film to watch and see how profits before the care of kids have become big bucks for both doctors and pharmaceutical companies.
You can watch it on Netflix (instant viewing).
Enjoy...
I wonder how our species could survive without big pharma pushing Ritalin on our kids to make them better suited for society.
As many have said, ADHD is and has always been a Big Pharma scam. Documentaries have shown that the drug industry searched for an untapped market and found young children and since then have been pumping them with mind-altering drugs with no positive data but with plenty of negative results: children on Ritanol, Prozac, Xanex, causing suicidal and murderous behaviour.
What on earth does it take for the public to stop the government from being lobbied into such cruelty on society and especially on our children.
Parents, rebel!
ARTICLE QUOTES...
Three Quarters of the diagnosed kids coming from more affluent families..and more "highly educated parents"? Thats a pretty significant statistic. Maybe the researchers should be looking at what it is in these higher income, often "both parents working full time careers" families that is impacting these children to make them statistically so at risk for an A.D.D. diagnosis? Who is raising these kids?...do they develop necessary bonding connections at a young age?...do they learn boundaries and self discipline in a consistent, loving environment?...Or do they have multiple different care givers, all with different expectations and methods of caregiving, but lack a present parent who offers CONSISTENCY, LOVE and A COMMITMENT to be active, present, connected and caring for a lifetime? Kids need consistency, and to know they are loved and protected in their early years. I am wondering if many of todays children are not experiencing this necessary environment that promotes healthy mental/emotional development?
There may be a big over-diagnosis of ADHD, but there are true cases of it and you can't judge everyone with ADHD children. I have four children, one with ADHD. Let me just say for the record to a couple people who posted that they would no way ever have their child on medicine:
My son cannot control himself the way my others can. He cannot sit still for dinner, he cannot concentrate in school or for homework. He gets frustrated and aggravated at himself. I used to be that person - No way will my kid be on meds and be a "zombie". I guess he just needs a little more a$$ whoopin than my others. That is not the case! He literally CANNOT HELP IT. It is a nuerolgical disorder. It is not a behavior problem. Its sad to see him suffer. I bit the bullet and put him on meds. WHAT A DIFFERENCE! WOW! All I can say is I wish I had done it sooner and ended his suffering.
My 10-yr old son said to me after the first day on medince " Mom, I love this. I love the way it makes me feel. I can sit still and I can listen in school. Thank you for helping me". How sad is that?
This child is also very athletic. It in no way changed him except for the fact that he can sit still when he has to. He plays basketball, soccer and baseball. He can now focus and listen to the coaches when they are talking to the team. He is still EXTREMELY ACTIVE and not lazy or "zombie-like". He still runs around wildly during sports and and recess at school, but yet can focus and pay attention in class.
Do you kids a favor if you think they have it - help them, give them a chance to succeed. You are doing your child a disservice by not helping them because of your ignorance. You don't know how they feel, and more than likely they can't explain it to you.
I hope 'karie from texas' reads your post.
Kudos to you for doing what is right for your child. Karie would clearly allow her child to disrupt life not only at home but in the school as well. It does no good to send a child to school where they disrupt the other students from learning just because the 'parent' refuses any and all resources that could help the child. I see behaviors in my own child that I am concerned about and as a proactive parent am already trying to see what I can do for him first. It's NOT up to the teachers and educators to control your child at school - it's up to the parents, which Karie doesn't understand.
I understand where you are coming from. I spanked and grounded my child. Took away TV and games and actually sat down regularly to help with school work. She was and is not hyper, but extremely unfocused. It took 3+ years of this before I started medicaton. It took 4 tries to get the right one but she is able to concentrate and finish simple tasks. She still struggles with more complex duties and tought but she is making huge improvements and is still her happy, creative lovable self.
I think of all the times I punished her and beat her butt for acting out and now realize how she felt for not being able to remember or "get it". I know there are those mis-diagnosed and I've seen parents who do nothing to control an unruly kid and think they have a disorder. Please don't assume all fall into that catagory and realize that many parents had a very hard time coming to terms with starting meds.
ADHD is the most over diagnosed crutch used by Educators to date. Hold Kids, Parents, and Teachers accountable and ADHD will drop. Stop blaming something else for what is wrong!
I don't believe in hitting kids. I grew up in the 50s, and I remember two spankings and a slap from my dad, and my mom never hit me that I recall.
Neither spanking was justified or appropriate. The slap should have been returned, with interest, and if I'd had a little more confidence, I'd have let him have it.
However, your remark about animal studies is about how humans treat animals, not how momma animals treat their babies. I do believe in smacking a toddler's hand, and even sometimes their butt, to teach them to keep their fingers out of the fire or off the Ming vase. And if you ever observe animals with their young, you'll see the same behavior.
Back in the 80's when we were growing up, my sister was diagnosed with hyperactivity disorder, as they did not have the terminology yet...she is ADHD, could never sit still, could not concentrate or focus...she exhibited symptoms more typical of a boy with ADHD. My parents tried everything, counseling, change of diet, extra help with studies, etc., to assist her with getting through school.
I, on the other hand, was a good student, quiet, smart...but was suffering from ADD in a completely different way. I always had problems concentrating, but could get into a zone where I could. I was socially awkward and found schoolwork to be a release, but I was also very disorganized. I was diagnosed at 38, after having gone to counseling for help with problems in my marriage. After a few visits with my therapist, she had me tested and the results came back that I do in fact have ADD.
My parents were very attentive to both of us and did whatever they could within their means to help us to succeed and prosper in school and life. It was the 80's, so there weren't all the video games...some but not like today...and there was no such thing as the internet or cell phones. We had 13 channels to watch and spent most of our days outdoors playing.
It is sad to me that so many people abuse the system just to control their kids. There was no medicine for my sister; we tried sugar-free diets to control her hyperactivity...we didn't know about red food coloring back then. I have always been adament about not using drugs, and was very skeptical when my doctor prescribed Adderall for me. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised.
I can concentrate and focus on the task at hand, whether I am at home tackling clutter or at work. It actually HAS changed my personality, for the better, because I am much calmer now that I can think clearly and prioritize not only physical tasks but the thoughts in my head. I used to get very depressed and think, I'm supposed to be smart, why can't I get this right? That doesn't happen any longer. I used to get completely thrown off if I had a plan for my day and something would happen to change it...flustered, frustrated, irritated. I could never understand how simple things like that would create such chaos inside my head.
My sister takes anti-anxiety medication, after many years of therapy, that is what helps her...and much of that hyperactivity she had as a child has subsided.
For those who truly need the medication, it can be such a relief. I am still against much of the medicating that goes on, but if there are more girls who were like me, flying under the radar but still having problems that we cannot express or understand, then I am happy for that.
Teachers were trying to tell me my daughter was ADHD in Kindergarten. I asked her pediatrician and was told we could have her tested, but you really can't diagnose until 10 or 11. I took the questionaire home and read it through. Some indications pertained to her, most not. Most only when she was tired or hungry.
When I told her ped. she asked what her favorite activity was. Art.
Okay, can she pay attention to her artwork for more than five minutes at a time? Yes, in fact, it's difficult to turn her attention away from it.
Well then, she's not ADHD. She just doesn't want to do math. So I told the teacher to blow it out her wazoo.
This saddens me no end. The pseudo-diagnosis of ADHD & ADD is so over-used to mask the terrible trend of a lack of teaching the basics to our students. The big-pharma/psych based education infiltration serves to put more and more young children onto the drug and prescription merry-go-round. These kids later get more drug cocktails, end up on other psych meds and evaluative "counseling" -- and then end up with guns shooting up classrooms and family.
When will we wake up to the fact that these psychological disorders are just made-up disorders, voted upon as to their inclusion into the DSM, and whose only treatment is "good drugs." Do you REALLY think that everybody's brain chemistry is screwed up BEFORE these these drugs???
It saddens me that progress is impeded because of boneheads who reject science because they believe they know more by gut instinct than those who study the issue as a profession.
How does someone who does not understand diagnosis come to the conclusion that it is "pseudo-diagnosis"?
When will we wake up to the fact that there are a lot of people who know little criticizing those who, due to education and dedication, actually know a lot?
don, there is NO science behind ADHD, just money.
Don ADHD is another abbreviation for being a kid. It's normal. It's not a condition. All it takes is some discipline and tough love (taking away the game systems and smart phones).
yes , because we all know drugging our children is the answer !
kids are depressed because YOU idiots ignore them ! turn off the TV and talk to your kids and find out how they are , drugging them up is only for you to tolerate them.
who wants to live in a fog ? this why our kids sometimes dont know real life and fantasy and end up killing themselves or others !
wake-up DONT label your kids with a problem, talk to them before its to late !
Don -
There is huge money to made in psychotropic drugs and the stimulants these are prescribed. Read the report by the American Psychiatric Association (ITSELF) concerning over-prescribing - specifically addresses ADD/ADHD.
But good rant.
I am sad that you are... squirrel!
Don if you think adhd is a real condition your education is crap. Kids are supposed to be active, they are supposed to have an imagination. When you want them to settle down you have to make them. How do I know that BECAUSE I WAS A KID. Because I have seen kids diagnosed as adhd and they are no @!$%#ing different from any other kid except instead of being punished for not listening or behaving when they are supposed to their dumb ass parents just go "oh thats a bad boy" and let them continue to run amuck or go "oh well that just the adhd". Still, EVEN IF IT WAS A REAL CONDITION, pills that are undenyably proven to @!$%# your brain up are not a correct answer. So whatever school you went to can take your so called education and shove it up their ass.
I work with ADHD clients and I do not use medications. I am bewildered by the stupid comments made by people who know nothing about ADHD. I do have to agree with you about medications. Pharmacy companies make over a billion dollars just on ADHD medications. They have bad side effects and it is not a recommended first mode of treatment. However, studies do show that for those who truely need medications, that they are far less likely to develop a drug addiction later in their life.
Just in the last 5 - 10 years, new neurological treatments have become available. They are computer programs that teach the brain to process information correctly and therefore not make impulsive, bad decisions. They also improve academic abilities and kids start getting A's and B's. They show an 80% improvement if done correctly. One is called Cogmed and another is Lumosity. One is done with a professional psychologist and the other is done by yourself. Guess which one is the most successful. We have made breaking discoveries in helping with ADHD. I've treated hundreds of kids and the kids parents often tell me I've changed their kids lives. It works!
Brandon
Your insulting retort demonstrates in you an appalling level of both ignorance and anti-social behavior. I hope for your sake that you are using an alias ..... who would put their real name to a vile comment such as yours.
You believe that your anecdotal examples substitute for diagnosis by trained professionals. There is no doubt that there have been misdiagnoses in the past and there is no doubt that some prescriptions are written for those who should not be taking prescription drugs, but to discount the opinions of those medical professionals who clearly know better than you is foolish.
ADHD is normal condition. The cure is parenting, school, and discipline.
Of not treated, ADHD grows into lack of personal responsibility as an adult. You can see this result in a large percentage of US adult population today.
I have several advanced degrees and work have worked with special needs kids. Let me tell you, my experience working hands-on has proven more benefiticial than any degree. Let me tell you, the boneheads you respect to provide an answer through their study is a line of you-know-what. I've had to deal with people you honor and respect. They've rarely, if ever, dealt hands-on with these kids and their families. Their "education" comes from parotting stuff that has been parotted stuff by others who don't know diddly. They're all "book-learn'd," but have no experience. They couldn't diagnose a hang-nail. All their education is totally bonerhead, and because they get all those degrees from "studying" those who have had no experience working with thise kids and their families but just repeating over and over again the latest fad doesn't make them educated. As for their dedication, it's a dedication to high-paying jobs in administration. These people never, ever deal day-by-day with these kids and their parents.
ADHD, as I said in another post, is a real condition, but it is EXTREMELY rare. I know that, because I work with these kids and have to deal with their families. Their parents are LOSERS who never should have had child and the "ADHD" is the result of BAD PARENTING. I know that for a fact, because I have worked day-by-day, hands-on-hands with them. The "educated" and "dedicated" you lavish praise on sit in offices, make an occasional appearance at an IEP with no knowledge of the actual situation but try to impress everyone with their "book-learn'd expertise."
I have seen paraprofessional aides deal better with these brats - and, yes, that's what they are, brats - and getting them to do something productive than someone with an Ed.D. who thinks she (and usually it's a she, and call that sexist, but from my own experience it's almost always that) knows sh*t from shynola because she has "a degree." They are not "educated" - they are "book learn'd" with virtually no, if any experience. They are not "dedicated," except to their own careers. School districts would work better to deal with these children if those who make the least amount of money and do the most work are put in charge, and firing those "educated" and "dedicated" people who make tons of money looking at the latest printed fad while sitting at their comfortable desks. I will trust an aide who makes nine bucks an hour dealing with these kids directly than some high-falootin" "educated and dedicated" idiot who makes six figures a year and hasn't dealt with a kid in 20 years.
Let me tell you, from my hands-on experience with these kids, there is nothing to be diagnosed than a bratty kid raised by lousy parents. Both need what was used eons ago - the real board of education. That's how it was done in the "stoneages" and the "disabled" kids grew up fine with no drugs or "counseling." When I went to school, a parent who didn't raise his/her child right didn't get "support" - he/she got the long arm of the law. Today, those who work hands-on with spoiled brats have to deal with parents (usually and always almost mothers - there, I said it, another "sexist" thing but it's objectively true [you go work in one of those classrooms]) who won't make their children do homework when they don't want to because making their kids do homework they don't to is "bad mothering." Do any of your "educated and dedicated" idols ever talk about that?
Wrong. While ADHD may be over-diagnosed, it does indeed exist. This isn't typical hyperactivity or typical lack of focus that all kids go through - this is pervasive, and inhibits their ability to function within society.
Now, there are many ways to treat ADHD - and medication is not always the right answer for every kid with ADHD, and even those that medications are necessary, it should be the last resort and done in conjunction with other non-medication therapies.
They diagnosed me with this BS when I was a kid because I asked too many questions in school (especially about assumed political structures and religious beliefs - I was in Catholic school). The teachers hated I was constantly proving how illogical the government's mechanisms were (democracy being nothing more than mob rule in a sportscoat, amounting to argumentum ad populum, appeal to the crowd, and informal logical fallacy) and how illogical and irrational their religious beliefs were (people coming back from the dead? Really?!?). So they convinced my mother I needed drugs despite my straight A grades.
I quit taking the medication (ritalin - aka, speed) secretly without telling anyone. They didn't notice. Ir was all about self control...or rather conformity. I pretended to conform in order to quit being drugged.
Parents: stop drugging your kids because teachers and psychologists tell you to, or becuase you're too lazy to parent and have too much ego to admit you're a crap parent.
Teachers: quit suggesting you need to drug kids to get them to be quiet or conform. Call the parents out, and stop thinking the classroom is your own private brainwashing lab where any lack of conformity via critical thinking is taboo.
Psychologists: quit thinking your nonsense theories are anything more than hindsight bias. When you guys accurately predict a mass murder before it happens I'll start giving you more credit...because you sure act as if it was easily predictable after it happens. Your field has value, but not when you treat it like a new religion. You are over-diagnosing children and putting them on drugs. Kids who do ritalin are more likely to be on meth and coke as adults for a reason. You are making normal, intelligent, and inquisitive children into drug dependent conformists. The disease isn't more widespread, and it isn't modern awareness rising the totals of the diagnosed...it's false diagnosis, lazy psychology, lazy parenting, and lazy teachers. Get over your self importance. You are hurting children.
If a teacher tells you your kid needs drugs for ADD he or she almost assuredly doesn't. Don't listen to them, look in the mirror, and examine the techers and psychologists who are making these claims.
My mother regrets ever believing them. She apologizes everytime the subject comes up. I forgave her long ago (actually I never really blamed her, as she was naive). Don't put yourself in the siutation where your kids harbor resentment toward you for drugging them.
there is no such thing as an "ADD" diagnosis anymore, stop using that term. beating kids into submission is not the answer either, wake up. ADHD is not a made up disorder. yes, it is overly diagnosed on a daily basis. i work as a school based counselor and see parents clamoring for a diagnosis, so they can then put their kid on disability. yes, you can collect disability with an ADHD diagnosis. also, parents "accidentally" lose their kids meds halfway through the month all the time. basic behavior modification and parenting skills usually suffice, but some kids do respond very well on meds and they don't turn into zombies. also, to all the people who keep saying ritalin or adderall (as the only med choices out there), educate yourselves. there are non-stimulant based drugs now. again, not everyone needs them, certainly not the amount that are diagnosed now, but the need is there. also, jerry, quit your job, like now. for you to say that all ADHD kids are "brats" and their parents are "losers" is pathetic. nice use of objectivity there. and you are sexist. instead of focusing on @!$%#ting on single mothers for raising all these "spoiled brats", maybe you should ask yourself where the hell the fathers are? and donovan, i agree the DSM is flawed, it sucks to have to label someone based off what a bunch of people voted to include. however, you're reaching when you say only "good drugs" are pushed to help people with mental disorders. and to say that mental disorders are "made up" is complete bs too. tell that to someone suffering from schizophrenia, bi-polar or ocd to the point that it destroys their lives. of course, a lot of you "experts" on here use about as much reasoning and logic as bible beaters, so maybe we can just call these kids "demon possessed" and burn them at the stake like the good old days.
pro, i agree with about everything you said, except one thing - psychologists don't prescribe medications. MD's and psychiatrists do. that's one of the main reasons I went into psychology instead of psychiatry. i wanted to work with folks w/o having to worry about them asking for certain meds they saw on a commercial or me having to push them.
As someone who has it, has the symptoms, has taken multiple kinds of medication for it, and has struggled with it including up to my current point in adulthood, I can tell you from experience that it is very real. Do we over-diagnose things these days? Maybe. No, we certainly over diagnose and over prescribe, in contrast to before where we were just ignorant and under diagnosed everything. But you people who are clearly uninformed and deny this exists should not speak on issues you know nothing about. I live with it, and it is most certainly real.
Totall agree God of Fate. I have one out of 4 children with it. He is also my youngest. I used to be like them....called it bad parenting and behavior problems. Until they see it first hand they will never understand it. I tried everything under the sun to help my son and resorted to meds as a last resort. Just wish I would have done it sooner.
He is the SAME child, but now can sit and focus when he needs to. He doesn't hop around everywhere he goes - he can walk like the other 10 yrs olds do.....and he can eat a meal without getting up after every bite. Good luck to you.
These drugged out ADHD kids didn't exist 40 years ago. There were a few kids who had mental issues. Now, it is rampant. While the government was fighting the war on drugs they let the science community & pharmaceutical companies go wild on drugs that are far more dangerous than the drugs they've been fighting. The FDA imo is complicit.
I have to wonder how much of it was due to the change by the College Board to stop marking SAT scores as being taken with accommodations. Kids with an ADHD diagnosis get to take the untimed SAT's. In the past, the College Board noted on the score report sent to colleges that the test was taken with accommodations. But in 2003, under pressure from "Disability Rights" groups, they stopped doing that.
As a parent of a child with a legitimate disability (autism), I think the College Board should bring back the old policy. If a child has a truly legitimate disability, then the parents will have no objection to it being marked on the score report that the test was taken with accommodations. The only parents who object to the notification are those who are trying to game the system for an unfair advantage.
Not all children do. My son will not be getting an IEP because he doesn't need it and doesn't want to be viewed as "special" and taken into a different room for testing.
However, I know several children in HS who get that diagnosis to have more time for the test and to get the drugs to focus and perform better. The pressure to get into top schools -
My son has autism (however he is very very high functioning). His issue with dyslexia far out weigh his autism. The only 'accommodations' are reasonable for anyone with dyslexia (he gets to leave his class and take his test without distraction and instead of having to turn pages with his testing material he gets it on one page (no extra time and no 'different' material). And, absolutely no 'drugs'.
He IS taking the same test, with the exact same material, just a different format, specific for dyslexics...so yes, I'd have huge issues with his test being labeled. No 'cheating' involved...
I have to wonder if kids have more ADHD now, if we're more aware of it, or if our kids' diet of refined sugar and video games has more to do with it. How many of these kids would do better if they were simply fed real food and got some exercise?
AG99 - I don't know about refined sugar, but my son had ADHD when he was younger. He was always moving around, even when he was in school. He was very hyper and his studies suffered. The doctor put him on Ritalin, which worked fine, initially, then tapered off. However, when puberty hit, it magically disappeared. He was no longer hyper, could focus on his studies better and grades improved.
That's not saying that you have to wait to treat ADHD until your kid reaches puberty. Every child is different and ADHD affects each child differently. That also goes with medicine for ADHD. I'll never forget when I first gave my son Ritalin. Within two hours of taking it, he started to organize his baseball cards, by League, by team, by player (alphabetically) and year. I was amazed. As time went on, though, the effects of Ritalin tapered off and didn't do much good. My son is now over 30 and doing quite well. You would never know he even had ADHD.
Alan Dean Foster - Threats or spankings had no effect on my son when he was little. Time outs worked best for him, as it was absolute torture to make him sit still, even for 5 minutes!
BTW - You can't blame video games for ADHD. If anything, video games actually help kids with ADHD. They force kids to focus on the goals of the game, otherwise, their characters will "die" and they'll never get ahead in the game. Video games helped my son to focus.
My friend in school growing up was hyper. He never was on meds. Turned out just fine. Has a great job and kids and family.
If he was a kid today, he would have been drugged up beyond belief.
Sorry but ADHD is nothing more then a child being a child.
I'm glad there are so many educated professionals leaving their comments on this subject. My son is "all" boy and we have dealt with this for ten years. We have had him on several diets, tried vitamins, accupuncture and many other alternative therapies. He is actively involved in sports and is very athletic! His dr. is NOT drug happy!!! - Thank God! ADHD is NOT always the child running around like a crazy person. His brain moves so fast he can't even process half of it. After delaying meds. for years we put him on a month ago. He noticed the difference immediately. If a child needs it, it works! He has had psych. educational testing twice - privately and the brain speed is noted both times. His memory doesn't work that fast too keep up what is being processed. He is impulsive and loud. Yes, we have disciplined and no he doesn't spend his time on games, etc. This is not the end of the process. Luckily his drs. and we believe it is a multi treatment approach. I know the meds. are over prescribed, but they are for everything in this country. Look at all the overweight people taking meds. for blood pressure, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Tell them to get outside more the next time you want to be critical and see where that gets you! As for finding kids to play with - good luck, I agree, most of them are inside playing video games! The sad thing is their dads who do it with them!
The fact that your kids pay attention to the video game is proof that the adhd is a bull@!$%# diagnosis. Discipline doesnt always mean punishment. Sometimes it means teaching them, teach them to focus on things the way they do video games, teach them all about anything that sparks an interest. The things they are diagnosing as adhd are evidence of the evolution doing its job. Laura said it, their kids brainspeed is essentially overclocked, that doesnt mean they arent paying attention, it means you guys arent feeding them enough information. Kids, especially these new generations can absorb and understand things you all think they are too young for. The only thing those meds will do is screw up their brain and retard them to your level, a level which by natural evolution they should surpass exponentially if you let them and learn to help them. But at a young age a kids attention span just isnt supposed to be long, thats NORMAL so you need to keep them moving thru many things, but whatever they pick up, just teach them, show them how it works. Or if you really want your kids to grow up to be cereal killers go ahead and keep pumping those meds into them, at least they will get a settlement in 20 years to fund their killing spree for the crap you made them take.
We have been trying to find out what our nine year old has been struggling with...the research I have been doing suggests this...PANDAS...below is just the beginning of some of the stuff I found...The U of Tel Aviv has just had a breakthrough in this area...I hope this helps...there is a serious gap in the understanding of children and diseases...that can have serious implications in later life....
PANDAS is an acronym for Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infections. This term describes a hypothesis that there exists a subset of children with rapid onset of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and/or tic disorders and these symptoms are caused by group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) infections.[1] The proposed link between infection and these disorders is that an initial autoimmune reaction to a GABHS infection produces antibodies that continues to interfere with basal ganglia function, causing symptom exacerbations.[2][3]
I have a friend who has a child who was treated for PANDAS. Good for you for finding it. I think most Drs. in our country don't like any new info!
It's frustrating as a parent to hear all this misinformation. We didn't put him on meds. as our first line of defense. We have tried teaching him/ etc. how to respond differently. He has worked with a counselor at school - it's like his brain is misfiring. We do not plan to keep him on meds. forever. We refused to put him on anything that would take away his charsmatic personality. He has no off button and we have tried to teach him and work with him on this. True ADD children can also "hyperfocus" as well. There is NO difference in his personality. He tested high on all educational testing - just can't focus. He explains it like things flying in his head that won't stop. The majority of these children don't grow up fine! They are addicts and alcoholics. I am grateful that we have a dr. who will monitor him monthly and will yank him off of meds. at the first sign of a problem. Our goal is NOT to keep him on the med. Treatment, as it should be, for all things is multi-dimensional. I know children on meds. who still have issues and who have that drugged look. Of course, I know lots of adults like that too!
Years ago a guy I worked with had a young son (about 9 or so at the time) with Turrets Syndrome. The doctors at the time prescribed Ritalin which basically turned the kid into a vegetable.
He and his wife searched and searched and came up with the Finegold diet recommended as a chemical free diet for his son. It did wonders. The whole family was on it. It was tough finding things like Toothpaste and shampoo that had no chemicals at that time, but they managed.
The kid was fine afterwards.
Their experience has always made me think that a lot of the ADHD, ADD and even the high rate of autism could be related to the chemicals in much of the foods we eat today.
To everyone suggesting that physical exercise is a problem with ADHD, I must remind you. The "H" in ADHD stands for "hyperactivity". Believe me, anyone with ADHD has NO problem moving around. Constantly. As in, lots of physical exercise. Sometimes, risky physical exercise, such as riding bikes with little regard as to what might be over the hill!
This up trend is the result of drug companies pushing pills and rocket fuel in the US water supply, not to mention various gasoline additives, Strychnine, cadmium, lead, mercury and other heavy metals. But don't worry, the EPA says the drinking water is safer than purified bottle water. Ans cows can fly too.
I don't even want fluoride in my kid's drinking water.
I didn't have fluoride in my drinking water or fluoride treatments. Last year I had over 10k of dental work. My husband had the treatments and he has none. I'll take the fluoride.
Take a look at Nikhil Swaminathan's article, Stealth Bomb in Psychology Today magazine. It is about pesticides undermining physical and mental health.
Stealth Attack *******
Sorry for the error in the title of the article, folks.
I think the article should be retitled, "amphetamine prescriptions for children whose parents can't be bothered jumps 24%"
ADHD & ADD are such bogus diagnoses. Want to cure ADHD? Cut the work week so parents can actually fulfill their title.
I hear a lot of reasons as to why the war on drugs is failing, perhaps among them should be the blatant hypocrisy in saying, "drugs can't fix your problems," immediately followed by, "got a problem? we've got the drug to fix it."
If anything illegal drugs are the more beneficial. You think smoking pot is gonna mess a kid up even 1% of what he'll get from being a daily amphetamine user from age 5-18+?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uYq2XyK4xk
Go to 1:42 and just listen to Louis C.K. (comedian) talk about stimulus and kids today.
1st, while SOME ADHD drugs are in the amphetamine class, it's important to realize that they are, chemically, different than the street drugs "meth" (I know you didn't mention meth, but many people don't realize that drugs within the same class can actually be significantly different from each other).
2, there are several non-stimulant meds used to treat ADHD.
3rd, ADHD and ADD are not bogus diagnoses. Perhaps over-diagnosed, but not out-right bogus diagnoses. Yes, all kids have types of being hyperactive or lack focus - that's part of being a kid. However, for a child with ADHD this is not typical hyperactivity or lack of focus, it is absolutely pervasive and disrupts their abilities to function within society, their home-life, etc., etc.
4th, meds, if used, should always be a last resort, and should always be paired with other non-pharmacological treatments. Some kids may not need meds, other kids might need meds. What med works well for one child may not work for another child - each of the meds have slightly different effects (some increase certain neurotransmitters more or less than other meds).
summer - thank you for your non knee jerk responses that actually include facts to back up what you say. you're making too much sense for many people on this board.
You're welcome, Justin.
ADHD is a junk diagnoses that doctors throw around because they can't come right out and say a kid is stupid and/or irresponsible.
It really doesn't have to do with being low IQ...more to do with parents refusing to make their kids responsible for their school work and free time.
They didn't have help when my mother was a kid. Subsequently she never learned to read well and quit school. There are times when you really need help and if it is going to mean the difference of getting through a rough time until your brain function matures, they it might be worth it. Who knows how differently her life would have turned out? BTW, her mother beat her when she got in trouble, so I don't think any more discipline could have been administered.
Disciplin doesnt always mean punishment. And EVERY one of those pills is PROVEN to damage the brains normal function and cause psycosis. If your mom had these meds you probably wouldnt be here and she would be in a mental institution or have commited suicide. Some people just have learning dissorders that affect their ability to work with numbers or letters. A pill that @!$%#s up the natural function of the brain isnt the right answer.
Drugged kids means parents don't actually have to interact and BE parents.
Having said that I word with special needs kids-----yes they are sorry
out of 60 kids only about 5 require "behavior management" meds.
I am not including anti-seizure or other necessary for life meds.
Many kids who are very active get diagnosed simply because they need to move and parents have become convinced Wii will substitute for outdoor activity.
So Brandon, do you have documentation on that? Are you saying that most people who take meds (never mind cognitive treatment) end up suicidal? Wow, even though I am anti med as the first line of treatment, that's quite a stretch. Did you know how much more dangerous tylenol is than codeine? Or how many people die from motrin (GI bleeds)? Bet you take them.
UDunnoBro - How appropos. If you have a child with ADD or ADHD, it doesn't mean they're stupid. Many kids who have it are extremely imaginative, creative and bright. Their brains just aren't chemically wired correctly.
My son, who was diagnosed with ADHD, tested out with a high IQ. He just had problems sitting still and focusing on what he was supposed to be doing. I'm guessing that when puberty hit, besides the normal hormonal changes, something chemically happened with his brain. He no longer exhibited so much hyperactivity - in fact, he was something of a slug, like typical teens, where he could sleep pretty much all morning - and he was better at focusing on his school work. I attribute some of that to video games. If you really think about it, when you play a video game, you have to focus on what you're doing in the game. If you're not quick enough, you "die" and/or have to play the game at the same level. That would get extremely frustrating for some kids.
Having a kid with ADHD doesn't mean you're a bad parent, you don't care, or let your kid run wild. It's easier for some of you to think that so that you feel like you must be the best parent in the world, right? I'm sure you are and your children are all testaments to your excellent your child-rearing skills. It's more challenging and more caring to identify the problem and take steps to help your child take charge of their lives. Pills are not the only answer here.
I suspect that most of the negative comments posted are from people who don't understand, don't want to understand or maybe had ADHD as a kid. Some of you posting probably don't even have kids.
Note: My son is in his early 30s, now, went to college, and is an executive with a well-respected company. He was never suicidal, even when he took Ritalin (briefly), and didn't experience any side effects, except that they stopped working for him and I didn't want to try any other medicine, as his problems lessened. Plus, I, too, was wary of putting him on too much medicine. It was bad enough that he also had asthma.
brandon, put up or shut up with all the bs you're spouting. provide proof that all ADHD drugs ruin your brain and increase suicides. you can't? thought so.
Aurora and Newtown ring a bell?
And I wonder about that.
I have a high IQ. I learned to read early, and was put in a special class for advanced readers. They were still too slow for me, and since I could read as well as the teacher, I was never called on. Her attention was given to improving the other students. Consequently, I rarely got to participate and instead had to endure sitting there listening to the others struggle through the first paragraph of a page I had read repeatedly.
That was nearly 45 years ago. I still remember the teacher's name: Mrs. Dawson, I hope you're burning in hell, you btch.
I didn't misbehave, though. I knew I would be severely spanked by the teacher, possibly the principal, and certainly beaten unmercifully by my stepfather. Kids today don't have so much fear of that. If I hadn't had that fear, I wouldn't have tolerated Mrs. Dawson's torture for one minute.
Maybe your kid was being tortured like I was. Maybe you drugged him to the point where he had to slow down to the level of the rest of the class. Maybe you should read about what Einstein's teachers said about him, and how his mother responded. Maybe you and the teachers were too concerned with your child fitting in rather than standing out.
In other words, maybe your kid would have been another Einstein if you had let him develop according to his own nature instead of using drugs to turn him into someone who was more compliant for your own convenience.
Just saying.
I think that the way that ..
crap I forgot what I was going to say!
Here's a cure (reiterating what's been said already):
Mom stays at home. Yes, the family will have to do without a few things on one income. It's ok.
The kid plays with other kids OUTDOORS.
Limit (but not ban) TV, computer and gadget time.
Eat wholesome home-cooked meals. Avoid processed crap.
This is such obvious stuff, but the whole "eat right, fresh air and exercise" thing really does matter.
Dude, you make too much sense. We can't have that!
@bob douglas
with such high numbers of soldiers coming home damaged or dead are you recommending war widows opt for welfare?
Who is going to feed the kids in single families---who is going take care of those escaping from family violence? You can't have it both ways.
I can't. My ex-husband is dying from a Grade III astrocytoma (brain cancer), someone has to provide for my kids. Yeah, right now we are living on student loan money - because I'm a 3rd year medical student and will be a physician (hopefully I'll go into ob/gyn) in just under a year and a half.
My kids spend time outside playing nearly everyday (unless the weather is unsafe). Often times they are out from after school until dinner, finish up homework, and then outside until bed time (unless it's too dark to be outside safely).
My kids have a limit of 30 minutes a day, unless it's a weekend, then they can pick out one movie to watch. The younger one doesn't have access to the computer (he's too young, imo), the older one rarely uses his computer. Same with gadgets.
I make wholesome home-made meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I also make their snacks. My children have food allergies that pretty much make it impossible to purchase processed crap or eat out.
My youngest son still has ADHD (very severely), he's also a very, very high-functioning autistic child. He has a very high IQ, and does school work 3 grade levels above the grade he is in (he isn't socially ready to advance grade levels).
We did use non-medication therapies 1st - and I continue to use them. Yes, he has a very strict daily schedule; he is consistently disciplined and, yes, he is held responsible for his own behavior. He described not being on his medications as having no way to filter incoming stimuli. Everything gets equal attention, whether it be the seam in his sock, the fly that buzzed across the room, the classmate that is talking to the teacher, the math worksheet in front of him, etc., etc. Having the medication helps him determine which external and internal stimuli should have priority. He also happens to be ok on a low-dose of medication - I think that has to do with all of the other non-medication therapies and tools we use to help him and, more importantly at this point, that he uses on his own to help himself.
How about Dad stays at home?
I wish I could double check some of these comments from Summer and Sandy!
Our son (now 13 yrs old) was dx'd @ 3.5 yrs with PDD-NOS & ADHD. If he went to school without taking his medication, boy-oh-boy, we knew it by the feedback from his teachers! IQ 143, honor roll last marking period, track team this past fall (made Varsity, too). And yeah - he loves his video games (when he's allowed them). Favorite TV shows are on the SciFi Channel, Science Channel, History Channel and PBS.
C NJ Mom,
Thanks.
While I believe ADD/ADHD are overdiagnosed, I have also known several people who were obviously correctly diagnosed. One college friend tried several times to stop taking her Ritalin, and the change was profound. She was always a bit "flaky" - forgetful, scatterbrained, etc., but she could function. When she went off her Ritalin, it was the same, but to a much greater degree. She couldn't concentrate on her studies, couldn't sit still, couldn't carry on a normal conversation because she'd go off on tangents. She'd really try to study, but the information just wouldn't "stick".
OTOH, I have a cousin my aunt and uncle adopted who was misdiagnosed, in my opinion. They never let the child play - he was told to sit down and be quiet, while his brothers were sent off to play with the rest of us. My aunt expected him to eat meals that I couldn't have finished, at 6 or 7 years older than him, then wouldn't let him work off that energy. So, like any kid, he would eventually get fidgety and act up. He'd refuse to eat. But when he stayed with us or another of my mom's siblings, his behavior would straighten right out. He played when he was allowed, sat still when he was expected to, and ate because he knew the food wouldn't last long (my uncle had 4 hungry boys who didn't let unwanted food sit still long). He was respectful and cooperative, with only the minor misbehaviors you'd expect of any kid.
The only time my son has had a behavior issue in school, I discussed it with him and his teacher. He said he was bored, especially in math. It was too easy. I mentioned this to the teacher, and she agreed that he seemed to have a very easy time picking up math, and that most of his misbehavior was when he finished his work before his classmates. But she offered no solution. He has the same problem to a lesser extent with reading and spelling. I had the same problem with reading when I was his age - my father (who, BTW, stayed at home for a while because he was laid off from his job) taught me to read before I can remember, so I was far ahead of my classmates. The difference - my teacher recognized this, and I was sent to a class a grade ahead of me for reading, where I flourished.
This is an OUTRAGE!
Im sorry, I never heard of anybody having ADHD or ADD until WELL into middle school or even the beginning of high school. Its a bull@!$%# diagnosis, and should be called "being a kid" syndrome. Its all due to diet, ignorance, and apathy that we have these diagnosis nowadays. Its sad that we have to shove our kids with pills to turn them into little mechanical atomatons that behave themselves. Just beat their asses like we used to. No wonder our government and western society is turning to @!$%#.
If you can't see it, it's not there, right?
ANL - Yeah...you're right. Just beat them into submission. That'll work wonders, especially when little Johnny grabs your unlocked/no trigger guard gun and retaliates against your abusive behavior.
this just in, child abuse cures ADHD, now here's Bob with the weather . . .
These are the same doctors who prescribe drugs to mass killers and never report them.
In other words, if a kid is an out of control brat, then his/her irresponsible, clueless parents can feel good about themselves because he/she has a clinical "problem".
Yeah, that sounds about right.
You don't have to be a brat to get the diagnosis. There is a whole spectrum of symptoms that have nothing to do with brattiness.
Do you think autism is up because we have better diagnostics, or because the parent is not parenting properly? After all, that's what psychiatrists used to think.
janellect,
Regarding autism being related to sucky parenting - no. Autism has nothing at all to do with so-called ADHD.
A couple of generations ago, a kid's bad behavior had very negative consequences for the perpetrator, which more often not completely cured the problem. Now it results in hand-wringing and placing the blame on some clinical behavioral issue with no negative consequences for the kid, so why should they not just continue as they are and then get some nice mind-numbing drugs that they can sell to their equally bratty friends?
Works out great for all involved. It eliminates parental guilt, enriches the kid and rewards its continuing misbehavior.
By today's diagnostic criteria Dennis the Menace had ADHD
but not the Beave
A lot of kids with autism have co-morbid ADHD. Not all autistic children have ADHD; and certainly even less kids with ADHD have autism. However, they are often times both present in the same kid at the same time.
One of my sons had severe ADHD (and, no, I'm not a sucky parent - by anyone's standard), he also is a very, very high functioning autistic child. My other son (the older one), does not have ADHD, nor is he autistic. I do not allow my son's ADHD or autism be exuses for him not doing what he's supposed to do, or for him misbehaving. He is expected to follow the rules at all times, and if he chooses to break the rules (including not following through with his responsibilities), then he chooses to have the consequeneces (no, he doesn't get to choose the consequences - they are well known in advance). I do not feel guilty - I have nothing to be guilty about.
Summer,
I always say that my son's Autism/ADHD are the reasons for his behavior, but NEVER an excuse for the behavior!
Exactly, C NJ Mom - a reason, but not an excuse.
Shouldn't that be "jerks up 24 percent?"
My advice as a European..... LOOK AT YOUR FOOD SUPLY !!!!
HORMONES, ANTIBIOTICS AND GENETICALLY MODIFIED GRAINS. This is why there are so many diseases in the usa.
Your milk, bread, meat is full of genetically modified grains..... Farm animals are fed with poisons that are killing you... it goes into milk products, and meat. And breads are made of genetically modified grains too..
Why is the FDA allowing this ????
Sodas are full of sugar and nutrasweet... DRINK FRUIT JUICE, GOOD NON CONCENTRATED FRUIT JUICES.
Bingo!!
could the "sudden increase" in diagnosis have anythign to do with school districts getting mroe funds for disabled children? it would be interesting to see the per school district rise in diagnosis over the increase in that school districts additional government funding
Schools do not diagnose ADHD; doctors do.
No. Schools don't get more funds for having students with ADHD. Schools get federal funding for students from impoverished backgrounds and for special education, but ADHD doesn't make you elligible for special education.
ADHD my a$$! Its called lazy parents and teachers. Get off your butt and help your kids, don't drug them to a stupor! I was diagnosed ADHD as a kid and still to this day I disagree with it. Its an excuse for lazy people and a pay check for pharmacies! Kids are getting away with this crap because of the lack of discipline.
You can be treated for ADHD without drugs, you know! Did you have a lazy parent? If you have helpful hints, by all means we would only gain by hearing them.
Codmed Working Memory Training. It works, and no medicines. And it is lasting, 24/7, everyday. Other things are very helpful, exercise is the number one intervention to improve brain function. Get your kids outside, no screen time. If they want some screen time, make them earn it, have them do chores, yes physical work, have them ride their bike or do sports games,or other type things to earn screen time. No gruesome games, etc. Play board games with your kids. A good diet is very important. Get a book on how to teach kids with ADHD. They learn differently. IQ has nothing to do with a diagnosis of ADHD. They can have problems if they are truely ADHD. And stop the rude, arragont resopnses. It doesn't help anything.
Actually kids with ADHD are often far more intelligent than their peers-----read BORED
janellect, I didn't say that it didn't exists, ADHD is a very real thing. But I don't think nearly as many kids have it as doctors and teacher say do. No I did not have lazy parents, in fact in order to keep me off of the medications they moved me to a school where teachers gave more one on one attention. It got to the point as a child I did not like the affect of the medication and refused to take it. Best I can say is for parents to just pay attention to your kids. Check in with the teachers often. Work with them and help them learn to focus.
I'm just tired of ADHD and ADD being an excuse.
Schroeder-297457 I completely agree with you! Focus all of the energy to a positive physical activity!
ADHD is a side effect from bad parenting and lack of discipline. Nothing more, nothing less.
I disagree that it is all "bad parenting". I was very bored in school and was sleeping in class by the 4th grade. "One size fits all" is not an education, as much as indoctrination. Many children just won't be forced into a box and I say good for them. I have to believe that hard play/exercise, real food and a family that takes time to spend together is the best medicine for most kids currently diagnosed with ADHD.
If you knew anything about ADHD JSKB you would know its not a boredom, or falling asleep. Its not being able to hold still or focus on one thing for too long. Not ALL ADHD cases are bad parenting, but it is becoming a largely used excuse!
There wouldn't be some many people diagnosed if doctors actually read the DSM diagnostic criteria for ADHD. Hyperactive behavior must be present in TWO distinct locations... parent take their kids to the doctor cause they are hyper at home, or teachers complain about a child not behaving in class, and then these kids are taken to doctors who write RXs for ADHD meds, when they probably aren't necessary.
We need medical providers who actually follow diagnostic procedure, and this an a lot of other over medicated problems would go away.
you think you can skim a book and be smarter than docs who spend 8 years post grad studying?
ha
Psychiatry isn't a real science and if you look into the area, the instances of curing a patient are few and far between. Mental "Illness" fads change every few years when the patents on the medications expire and they need a new condition to treat with the next new wonder drug. Look into the number of children who commit suicide and other serious acts of violence while on psychotropic drugs designed to "treat" kids that came in with relatively benign disorders like "Inattention" or "Mild Depression". Colubine, Aurora, Newtown....anything here ring a bell?
1) few fields aside from surgery cure patients
2) most psychotropic meds have been around for decades
3) your point about columbine is a great example of selection bias. Google it
ADHD....to much of the "world" on their minds.
ADHD rose when everyone got a ribbon and only a timeout for misbehaving. Bunch of spoiled brats that don't know any boundaries because mommy and daddy are too busy making money to be parents.
It is real, but some doctors like to categorize more people with it. Some people genuinely suffer. But we live in a world where money rules. Just be careful not to write EVERYONE off.
With enough IDC 9 and 10 codes you can make a good living treating it.
oh yea, these kids will be forever banned from owning a gun.
My Wife's kid was diagnosed with ADHD. I asked how come he only has it when its something he doesn't want to do ie school work, but could read a book in a night or play for 20 straight hours on a video game. We finally took him off the meds for about 7 years now and he is no different. Doesn't want to work on the meds and doesn't want to work off the meds he is just lazy all play and no work.