The main Homeschool Ping List handles the homeschool-specific articles. I hold both the Homeschool Ping List and the Another Reason to Homeschool Ping list. Please freepmail me to let me know if you would like to be added to or removed from either list, or both.
I am absolutely convinced that if my kids had gone to public schools, they would have been labeled ADD/ADHD and they would have insisted on putting the kids on medication.
All they ever needed was enough exercise. When they were active enough and could burn off the extra energy, they were happy and well behaved (usually).
You can't just go sticking boys at desks all day and expect them to be perfect, self-controlled little angels. Boys need to move. They are meant to move.
I agree with your concerns. What gets me is how little science goes into some of the ideas behind diagnosis of some types of disorder while individuals with obvious behavior disorder are labeled normal. A child that asserts they desire to be a member of the opposite sex is catered too while a boy that desires to run and play is considered abnormal. We live in an increasingly insane culture that selectively applies reason based upon desire for certain political and activist outcomes. One big desire of the left is the deconstruction of masculinity.
Same here... with our middle son. We always knew what the school would say. He fits the stereotype so perfectly:
Boundless amounts of energy. Always laughing and joking. But, his attention flits from one thing to another. Often he'll talk nonstop, and then he's changing subjects - and no one can follow along. I can't even explain it. You'd have to see him in action to understand. Up to recently, he rarely looked straight at anyone talking to him, either. He always had difficulty keeping his eyes focused on me or anyone else who's talking.
But, what most people don't realize is that he's LISTENING the whole time. And he'll REMEMBER everything you said, if he deems it important enough. And his behavior changes when he's interested in something. He'll sit for hours to focus on something that interests him. He's very creative and imaginative. And, if you want something done, he's the kid to ask. He just jumps in there and does it. Fast.
The last doctor noticed some of his behavior and accused me of neglecting his socialization by homeschooling, even though my other sons were sitting right there behaving very differently. I was just glad she didn't try to diagnose him with something. They'd have to kill me first before I'd let anyone medicate him. Really. I would fight them off to my death. I truly believe these children have a special gift, and the rest of the world just doesn't know how to handle it. My husband says these kids are wired for instantaneous information in the internet age, but the educational establishment is stuck in the Stone Age.
Anyway, I'm always looking for inspiration. My husband's grade school report cards serve as my inspiration now: Every single one of his report cards, through the eighth grade, says: He's disruptive; he can't stay in his seat; he can't keep his hands where they belong; he doesn't listen courteously when other people talk; he interrupts; he has to be reprimanded daily. And on and on. By high school, those comments end, and he's at the top of his class. :-)
Also, once, I attended a seminar held by researchers, and it made so much sense. The researcher told me most of the students diagnosed with ADHD are usually kids who just use a technical/confluent learning pattern. Here's more info for anyone interested.
I also came across a special school advertised on the internet for "boys with ADHD." It called them the "Tom Sawyers" of their generation. It takes these boys out into the wilderness for adventure and hands-on learning.