State-based Prevalence Data of ADHD Diagnosis (2011-2012): Children CURRENTLY diagnosed with ADHD (Centers for Disease Control)
State-based Prevalence Data of ADHD Diagnosis (2011-2012): Children CURRENTLY diagnosed with ADHD (Centers for Disease Control)
Well, there you have it...gambling prevents ADHD
Kids were exactly the same when I was in school in the 1960’s. But the teacher had something that made us focus and sit. It wasn’t a drug. It was just a stick of wood. Usually it had printed on it, “The Board Of Education.” Frequently, it had holes which whistled...I still remember the tune.
The problem is that the system is designed to “administer” education. When it takes that approach, the system tells the student when the lesson is done. The alternative is to
“present” education. The difference being is that the student has a limited attention span and can only absorb what is presented during that attention span.
Instead of hour long lecture sessions, there needs to be changes to make the material interesting. 15 min of lecture, 15 min of class activity to demonstrate, etc.
One reason they can’t sit still is because they never play outside. They don’t spend time running, climbing trees, riding their bikes, playing games they organize themselves. In other words, they have a lot of pent up energy that never gets spent.
Used to be known as “ants in your pants.” If it became distracting, the teacher made you sit on your hands. I still do that from time to time.
There were ample playgrounds, gym space, shops and music rooms where students used up energy. The ceilings were high, the windows were large, could be opened and filled a full wall of the classroom. The lights weren't flourescent. Those rooms had corners with puzzles, chairs to sit and read, spaces to unwind. The hallways were wide, so the classrooms were separate entities where children could thrive.
The new schools are like prisons with the rooms being locked cells. Of course that matters. FWIW, it seems that well-run "old" schools (that they're still tearing down) have better natured children.
It's amazing how much difference extra time in the gym or outdoor recess after lunch can make. Instead, the ptb have imprisoned kids in unnatural environments and then drugged them to cope.
This sounds like so much crap.
Except for one thing.
Sixty years ago, we had to sit in a disciplined way through out the school day. After school we could run around all we wanted.
You see, there was limited TV, no video games, and if we pestered Mom she’d run us out of the house with the admonition ‘You children go outside! I’ve work to do!’.
We got lots of play time 60 years ago.
What we didn’t dare do was be a nuisance or a distraction in the classroom. If you didn’t get a paddling from the principle you’d certainly get a taste of the belt when you went home.
We had a 15 minute recess in the morning and afternoon and an hour at lunch to burn off the energy. Rainy days were hell for teachers. LOL. I guess they stopped doing recess.
Maybe (?) it’s just too BOOOORRRING!
Where are the two (2) periods of recess for the kids????
ever wonder why it's almost always boys that are diagnosed with it? before ADHD, there used to be a thing called recess... but we can't let boys be boys anymore, can we???
Their diet
For those of us with children who truly are ADHD, please don’t insist that we don’t discipline our children. It has nothing to do with that. For some of the cases, maybe, but not for true ADHD cases. We’ve rejected drugs and have opted for dietary and therapeutic treatments. I now that a traditional school is probably not the best option so we are prepared to homeschool if/when necessary. If you think discipline is the answer, then please take that miracle cure to a cancer treatment center and paddle the patients until their bodies rid themselves of cancer.
We look at our son’s ADHD as a blessing. Like many with the issue, he has a much higher IQ. It’s fascinating to watch him learn, and to discover how he learns. His unconventional ways are astounding yet extremely effective.
Are some ADHD cases really misdiagnoses so that parents and teachers can get an easy med fix? Yes. But that is not the case for all of us.
Can the kid sit still while playing video games or watching TV? No problem except a lack of discipline.
Still can’t stay still? Send him outside to play...
I had some serious ADHD or OCD or something. Citalopram changed the world.
I'm reading the intelligent replies from freepers.
Why is it all of us lay people can respond to this question quickly, correctly and intelligently....when the pointy-head, highly-trained, high-priced therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists and their ilk are all screwed up for answers?
(....rhetorical question, of course.)
Leni
Because school is boring. Being geared primarily towards not leaving kids behind rather than challenging kids makes it impossible to keep kids attention. Make school harder, let the dumb ones fail, keep the smart ones engaged.
Because they have no chance to run around and get "the wiggles" out of their system.
When I taught the beginners in Sunday School I always had some very active songs for them to sing. They waved their hands, clapped, jumped, bobbed their head and spun in circles for ten to fifteen minutes before I had them sit down for a drink of juice and the lesson.
The class was very well behaved (ok for the MOST part). Kids need to move. Give them ten minutes an hour to be active and they will give you their attention the other 50 minutes.
Wife been saying this since the 90s when our kids were in grade school. Bears repeating though. Anyone with kids currently in grade school should check out your school's recess operations in case your kid gets an adhd warning.
I took ONE course like that in college, and it was my favorite course. I finished it 25% faster than a regular course, and I learned the material thoroughly.
Yes, many of these ADHD issues are biologically based, but why compound the problem with our wildly outdated and outmoded teaching method?
The idea of "seat time" and "Carnegie Units" came from Carnegie. There is no evidence that it works. Why do we perpetuate it, especially with all of the on-line learning technology available today?