Does ADHD exist? Or is it a result of over-analyzing kids?

[docmirror]

Original question was changed.

Not by me. I didn't edit the first post, and I don't think I can edit the poll question, but I assure you I haven't. You can ask a mod to verify if someone other than me has touched it.

 

[jspilot]

Just remember who came in and shat in this thread first. There are thousands of teachers out there in unions, and who have a vested interest in seeing additional cases diagnosed at the school level. Plenty of history about this can be found with a little google-foo.

I did not "shat" on this thread. I came on here to defend my profession-- one that I'm proud to do each day. I can't speak for every teacher in America but I have never referred any student who is displaying signs of ADHD for any other reason other than for the benefit of that student. I came on here, offered a viewpoint from a much more educated person on the topic than you, and you belittled it and cast it aside and labeled me as having a " man crush." Seriously???

I re-read your original post. You asked if ADHD exists. I, as well as many others have told you it does.

Now let's get down to the other real facts, in order to get a label of ADHD, the student must display symptoms of ADHD in MULTIPLE settings, and these symptoms must be having a significant impact on their development beyond just they are difficult to control in a classroom( like they are failing class, can't make friends, and more.) Did you know that? How many others knew that? So go on all you want bashing teachers and propagating that we are the ones to blame for this but it's simply not true.

You had a bad experience with a principal and that has clouded your judgement. Sorry that happened and I'm sure you did right by your son. However, their are many kids out there that are significantly negatively impacted by ADHD in multiple settings who are failing school, not making friends, constantly loosing things and getting in trouble with authority figures who deserve to live in a society that respects their struggles and understands that they are not to be blamed, nor are their parents, for what is going on.

 

[evapilotaz]

You guys are Idiots if you say bad parenting. My child is on a 504 with the school because of it. Do you smart know it all know what a 504? Well I do.

 

[docmirror]

You guys are Idiots if you say bad parenting. My child is on a 504 with the school because of it. Do you smart know it all know what a 504? Well I do.

I'm not the smart know it all you are referring to but I did already cover that previously. Feel free to read the thread at your leisure.

 

[docmirror]

I truly wish that I had a recording device back +20 years ago when I was asked to come in for a discussion about my son. It was surreal. Went something like this:

"Now, Mr xxxxx, thanks for coming in. We would like to talk with you about something we see here once in a while, and there is nothing you've done wrong, and nothing your son has done wrong, but we are concerned about his behaviors, and his future. (talking to me like I'm a babbling idiot) Tom(not real name) seems to have trouble relating to the teachers and focusing his attention to complete assignments...."

It went on like that with smiles, and gentle voices, and they started talking about a special program, and a dr they could recommend, and if I wanted to have him tested they would be more than happy to assist, etc, ad infinitum. I must have had that jaw-drop look on my face when they shut up because we just sat there for about a minute and I was waiting for some kind of "SURPRISE! Haha, we gotcha on camera!" or something. I was - gobsmacked. So, I gathered myself, and after a bit I asked "now, what do you think is wrong?" and I got the stock answer "Well he has an attention deficit, and he is hyperactive". Then I got mad.

I got boiling mad, and asked the counselor who was in the room if she was a MD, or if the principle was an MD. They said no and I told them in no uncertain terms, that no one - will EVER use clinical terms about my kids again, and I demanded to see their records of my son right now. Of course, they refused, and I said, fine - prepare for a subpoena tomorrow, cause I"m leaving here and going to a lawyer as fast as I can drive. I will KNOW one way or another if you have diagnosed my son with some kind of mental deficiency, and written it down in his school record.

That is just what I did too. I went and found a lawyer who was familiar with this ADHD and schools and he called them that afternoon. The records were waiting for me when I got back there, and I once again reiterated that no one was permitted to discuss, advise, or diagnose any kind of medical or mental problem with respect to my son again.

That's when I started looking into the background of this 'diagnosis'. What I discovered was chilling. Before about 1983, the number of cases of ADD with hyperactivity(ADHD didn't even exist medically until 87) were vanishingly small. Since they, in the western civ countries, and particularly the US, it has exploded. Talk about your hockey stick curve, oh my. Funny, it doesn't seem to be present in Mexico, or S America, or other countries, but it's such a big, big problem in developed countries particularly the US? Hmmmmm. And once the financials got going for the school system, mostly inner city schools to start, about 83 Ritalin came out, and Katy bar the door. Now they had something they could push, and push they did.

the worst part is that parents bought in wholesale. Now little Jimmy or Janey could be well controlled with drugs. They don't need to go outside and play, they don't need time to daydream, or have unstructured play time away from parents, what they need is more structure. Yup, that'll do it. Give them a rigid plan of drugs to take, and just get them calmed right down to the point they can focus and function like parents and educators want them too. I'm sure it's some kind of pandemic that the whole country is going through, along with Europe in some cases. That must be it, cultural advancement has led to children's attention and hyperactivity problems. Sure...

 

[evapilotaz]

I'm not the smart know it all you are referring to but I did already cover that previously. Feel free to read the thread at your leisure.

Sorry I read as far as the bad parenting comments.

 

[Mrs. SixPapaCharlie]

You guys are Idiots if you say bad parenting. My child is on a 504 with the school because of it. Do you smart know it all know what a 504? Well I do.

I did not mean to imply that I believe ADHD is caused by bad parenting. Not sure if you were referencing my comments or not. I do believe that, for some kids with ADHD, consistency and structure from the parents can improve some of the behavioral issues that the children present with. At least this has been the case at the counseling center I run.

I will also note that, typically, parents bring ADHD-diagnosed kids in to our agency when there are significant behavioral issues. We don't see many kids that are just having trouble focusing at school. The ones seeking counseling usually are getting in a lot of trouble at school or have significant issues at home or with peers.

 

[docmirror]

Well, thank goodness we have drugs for those little troublemakers.

 

[jspilot]

I did not mean to imply that I believe ADHD is caused by bad parenting. Not sure if you were references my comments or not. I do believe that, for some kids with ADHD, consistency and structure from the parents can improve some of the behavioral issues that the children present with. At least this has been the case at the counseling center I run.

I will also note that, typically, parents bring ADHD-diagnosed kids in to our agency when there are significant behavioral issues. We don't see many kids that are just having trouble focusing at school. The ones seeking counseling usually are getting in a lot of trouble at school or have significant issues at home or with peers.

Your last paragraph is right on the money. It needs to be a significant issue in multiple settings. See all the people who tell of stories in which ADHD was miss represented are, in fact, sharing exactly that, stories in which ADHD was miss represented by the school. As you say, true cases of ADHD do impact the lives of students. That's the thing with these arguements, everyone feels that their experience with their kid is the true litmus test by which all other cases should be evaluated against. It's not that easy. In a way, it's similar to saying to the doctor who tells you your kid has the flu by saying, "well the last time he or she caughed and had a fever it was not the flu so that means this time he or she also does not have the flu" and then on your way out telling all the patients in the waiting room about to see the doctor " look don't trust this doctor because he is quick to label kids with the flu."

 

[Florida Cracker]

I automatically doubt anyone that claims to know my kids better than I do, and that especially goes for those in the educational world, who make their living off of finding new and creative ways to generate additional revenue.

ADHD is like gluten into,erance. It has become the new "it" as far as giving educators something new to claim is holding back better education outcomes, which is automatically followed with "requests" for more money.

There are truck loads of pill pushing doctors happy to take the insurance company's money for a visit, push pills, dope up anyone, man, woman, or child, and we another patient to do the same thing, just as there are plenty of "educators" happy to get one more kid labeled in order to latch on to more tax money.

Kids who actually have problems associated with hyperactivity are rarely well treated because the faux drug "therapy" has become the new it, and why bother with the work of actually treating a child, when you can drug hundreds of thousands, and snatch millions of dollars instead?

 

[evapilotaz]

Don't judge my parenting skills unless you have a child
That has been diagnosed with adhd. We tried everything and anything before going the drug route. I was so anti drug for at least two years before caving in. We have been sending him to classes to help him cope without drugs and slowly weaning him off of them.

 

[Bonanza]

Don't judge my parenting skills unless you have a child
That has been diagnosed with adhd. We tried everything and anything before going the drug route. I was so anti drug for at least two years before caving in. We have been sending him to classes to help him cope without drugs and slowly weaning him off of them.

I really admire parents like you. There are so many that are so quick to rush to judgement who have never had the real life experience and trauma that you have.
You are handling this with maturity and should be proud of your parenting.
You have my deepest respect.
Stephen.

 

[evapilotaz]

One other thing. We didn't know about these classes help before putting him on drug. We were referred by another doctor to a clinic that specializes in child behavior. We pay for these classes out of pocket because stupid insurance doesn't cover it. Insurance covers the drugs so go figure.

 

[AdamZ]

Yes. It exists but I am not sure it is a real problem.
It certainly doesn't need to be labeled on every kid that is hyper w/ a good imagination.

I was that kid and even as an adult, my mind churns on a hundred other things at once but I can control it. Hence the ability to fly planes. I don't need pills to control it. I was never given riddlin or anything and I just learned that I have to control it if I am going to execute a process successfully.

I have family members that need meds to control it and I think they have it worse then me.

But yeah, I think ADHD is real and I think it can be a good thing if you can control it. I come up with a lot of outside the box solutions to things because I don't stay inside the problem.

I just read what I typed and then picked up my guitar and started teaching myself the intro to "Hell's Bells" because ADHD reminded me of AC/DC. I bet without ADHD we wouldn't have AC/DC

Squirrel!!

Well put Bryan.

I think like most things the way a person with ADHD or ADD is affected or deals with it falls on a spectrum. As for your fying. I had an interesting conversation with a child psychologist who told me that, Its rarely discussed but people with ADD can actually hyper concentrate on a specific activity. Thus your brain could churn a lot but you could be laser focused in the air.

ADD or ADHD is like any other condition. I belive its real but that it is also over diagnosed. My dad who is a retired family doc would hate it when the news ran a story about a new ailment or an uptick ( excuse the innuendo) in something like limes disease as the next day his office phones would ring off the hook as everyone who saw the story now had that ailment.