Posted on 05/04/2013 12:51:17 PM PDT by Java4Jay
Doctors usually do not follow guidelines for treating very young children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder(ADHD). In the study, about 90 percent of doctors surveyed did not strictly adhere to new guidelines recommended for treating preschoolers with ADHD, such as when to start medications, and which medications to use.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Now they are saying there is adult ADHD. That is simple a result of parents that didn't teach their kids a little discipline and now their is an excuse.
Great story and glad things turned out well for you and your son.
Especially boys. I always tell my daughter to watch little boys when we are out somewhere. They are so full of energy and adventure and curiosity. A lot of girls are, too, but boys more so.
My son was on Ritalin for awhile when he was 7 but it made him like a zombie and he had no appetite. It was for his teacher’s benefit more than his, as she practically begged me to have him medicated. Boys and girls learn differently and should be taught differently, IMHO.
I don’t see anyone arguing for drugs, at least not as a first resort. I’m not even a parent and I realize that kids need physical activity, good sleep, clear rules, reward systems, and lots of love and understanding. Basically the equivalent time to play as previous generations enjoyed and thereby opportunities to exercise the natural skills they will need as adults.
As a landlord, I see so many people in their 20's and 30's who are now on disability because they have some phoney attention deficit "syndrome"... they have zero incentive to ever become productive citizens as a result.
She never was medicated and graduated college with a 3.92 gpa.
And there also used to be no shortage of good paying unskilled jobs for the less academically uneducated “high-school graduates” or dropouts which is what a lot of these ADHD kids would probably be doing two or three generations past.
I am sorry to disagree with you two on this. I was diagnosed with ADD, but as an adult back in the early 1990’s. I was in my mid 30’s at the time. I was a straight-A student and not a problem in the classroom other than I raised my hand quite a bit (fervently), and swung my legs under my desk a lot when a child in the earliest grades. I eventually learned to sit on them to keep from swinging them all the time. I became class president my senior year in HS and was class valedictorian. I was awarded a full scholarship to a private top-25 college.
However, when not in a structured routine (at home) I had much more difficulty. I was spanked frequently, and often didn’t understand why I got them when I perceived my behaviors to be the same as my siblings. I thought everyone spoke out loud what they were thinking at the time. Little did I realize that others thought about that slap seconds more quickly than I did, in time enough to not open their mouths to avert said slap or spanking.
I am still easily distracted, but also have many learned lessons the hard way. It is something I struggle with every day. I have tried medication, but that only helped a bit. It also made me anxious. That wasn’t helpful. I don’t think medication is a good option, but to each his own. I try to avoid situations (when possible) that make my distractibility an issue. Sometimes it can be beneficial.
Oh, neither I nor anyone in my family gets any government assistance. I don’t believe in that kind of thing. I think it breeds dependence and sloth, and that is completely against my grain.
I think you just identified the problem. You didn't conform to others expectations of behavior. It was their problem, nothing to do with you. Some people are that way, and others are not. There is a fully range of behavior that has nothing to do with intelligence, ability to learn, creativity, etc. Personally, I am highly visual, tactile and active. If this stuff was around when I was a kid, I am positive I would be on some kind of meds.
Be very leery and highly skeptical of any school or doctor wanting to push Ritalin before an Audiologist and Allergy Specialist is seen. The Audiologist or a Speech Pathologist can test for and diagnose CAPD a Shrink can not and most never consider this as a cause. Giving a CAPD kid Ritalin or ADD ADHD meds can do far more harm. Their sensory system is already overtaxed.
Watch the kids. Do some basic detective work and keep a log or notes on when behavior changes. Be especially watchful where they have just engaged in sensory processing extensive activities such as video games, TV, etc.
Observe the child’s reactions and pay very close attention to if they are actually processing what you say. Example TV is on but kid isn't watching it. You say "hey Billy please take out the trash". The child just sits there as if he didn't hear you or says Huh? You repeat yourself and about mid sentence Billy says "do what" as if he just heard you. The third time you've had enough and say slowly "Billy take out" and then it's like a switch was turned on Billy understands. This is not ADD ADHD this is likely CAPD. Billy began processing your first attempts about the middle of your second attempt. The more background distractions the more attempts it takes to communicate.
Watch how they read. The kid may honest to goodness be only to read a few minutes. Watch for more clues such as reversing order of words, skipping words, skipping an entire sentence or paragraph and in some causes Dyslexic symptoms. Again this is not ADD ADHD.
A teacher is giving a lesson and says OK class take notes. Billy will either have no notes and will have understood half the instructions or had very few notes and can't tell you what the teacher said. Get Billy a voice recorder.
Bily needs to be placed facing the teacher and the teacher needs to face the class when talking not the blackboard or walking around the room. Kids like Billy usually read lips. They may process lip reading faster.
Next what else to look for? Watch the kids activities outdoors. Dad's you need understand what I am about to say. If Billy is lets say playing sandlot baseball and can not hit the ball despite your repeated attempts see if this happens. He swings way too early, way too late, or ducks from the ball as if afraid of it. That points to eye and muscle coordination often related to CAPD. Get him into Occupational Therapy for help. It is a good investment money wise in this case. Look at his shoes? Does he break the shoes over to the side? That again points to balance and function of the Inner Ear where most CAPD symptoms originate from. That one will require a visit to a foot doctor for some prescription insoles likely.
How did I learn all this? My own life experiences as a misdiagnosed ADD ADHD child who had multiple sensory processing issues and I still have them today only far worse. My parents got me help for what help was out there in the late 1960’s early 70’s.
ADD ADHD was not rampant when I was a kid. I was one of the few in my school they thought had it. I don’t and I never did. After my sensory processing system deteriorated to the point of disability when I was about 35 years old did I then seek out answers. It has taken me over 18 years to do so. Much of my information comes from looking in Vestibular Disorder venues on the web. Last but not least to adults reading this I give you this bit of information you will never hear in a Shrinks office. Vestibular {INNER EAR} and sensory processing dysfunction is likely the leading cause of adulthood Panic or Anxiety Disorder.
Mothers know how a baby with an ear infection acts. They are not happy campers. Older General Practiconers knew an Inner Ear Infection in adults. How often do you hear of adults having an Inner Ear infection today? Did they just go away? No I doubt that. Doctors have lost focus as to physical ailments cause and affects.
Classroom time nor is ridiculous especially for early grade schoolers. Naps are a no longer an allowed activity in most Kindergarten classes. Pre-K needs to be ended now. Grade school K-third grade should be out at 1:30. Fourth through eighth grade or sixth if a middle school should be out at 2:30. Middle /junior high and high school should be out at no later than 3:30. School years should begin Tuesday after Labor Day and end Friday before Memorial Day. Recess in grade school should be an after lunch activity and Physical Education should be a required three year twice to three times a week course in high school. Block scheduling should be ended in all public schools.
You might want to read post 30. Seriously my legs were always moving as a kid and still as an adult. I’m curious. Are you scared of high places?
Interesting. Thank you. I would like to add that in my limited experiences with medical doctors that a medical test is often needed prior to treatment.
In the case of ADD or ADHD the claim is that a chemical imbalance in the brain is involved, yet no tests are performed to actually measure levels of substances in the brain, nor are there any recommended guidelines as to what the levels of these substances should be.
Seems to me that a doc that would quickly prescribe meds based solely on symptoms and not examining the root cause of the problem is not practicing medicine.
What a wonderfull son you have....and great parents of course......enjoyed your story...we need to hear life stories such as yours...lifts the heart and soul.
Thank you.
I read post 30, and the rest of them as well. I don’t think that your description of a kid watching TV fit my behavior when I was a child. I never heard people say anything. They (parents or siblings) had to touch me, tap my shoulder, get right in front of my face or something like that if I was in a hyper-focused state. I’m either easily distracted or in intense focus. I know it was a frustration to my family.
I would be the only one who didn’t hear the instructions that the family would be leaving in 15 minutes, so finish getting ready. Seriously, I never heard the first word, the second, or the third. I would ask why somebody didn’t come tell me, and they would tell me they did. (I was an avid reader - still am - and always had my nose in a book.)
I was a great reader and speller (champion at my school and competed at the local city level), and took verbatim notes. A voice recorder in college did help me keep up though. I had very fine motor skills. In my early career in the lab, I did work under the microscope frequently. I’ve always had great penmanship, too, and have done calligraphy as a hobby.
One thing I did have trouble with was remembering verbal commands. If my dad asked me to get something from his bedroom, I’d repeat it over and over again on my way to the room...look for the requested item...not find it where I thought he had indicated it should be...then get distracted trying to find it elsewhere...only to return to him empty handed, and asking for further instructions. I can’t remember a list that has more than 3 or 4 items on it, unless there’s some logical connection between them.
I did find out a few years ago that I do have restless legs syndrome. The only thing that may be similar to what you’re saying is that as an adult, I realized I was (am) afraid of high places (restaurants at the top of high-rise hotels, high levels at the Statue of Liberty, the tippy top of the World Trade Center when it was still around, that sort of thing). Heights never bothered me as a youngster to my recollection, but I’m not sure how often I got the chance to go very high. I loved climbing trees and swinging as high as possible.
So how does any of the compare to yours? I’m in my early 50’s BTW.
This isn't chemical imbalance but rather neurological damage to the Cerebellar-Vestibular System. This is the bodies major center for processing sight, sound, balance, and how the sensory input is translated and responses created. Much of it is more recent research although at least one man began making the connection as far back as the 1970's. This can be tested for by specialist who can not prescribe medications. Most things needed are low tech adaptions at little cost.
I personally believe this condition has always existed in mankind. However the triggers for it as such come from the technology revolution. The outbreak and increases of ADD ADHD diagnoses or symptoms seem to go hand in hand with that time frame. As a kid we had B&W TV in our home. Video games weren't around and very few classrooms had distractions like TV. Classrooms had desk lined up in order and not scattered tables around the room.
Today every place you go in public is sensory saturation. For example Walmart. Up till recently in my areas they used the store PA for everything from twice a minute announcements to employee pep rallies. You could see some customers becoming agitated but they likely didn't know why. It was breaking their concentration. Same thing with places like Home Depot and Lowes. My dad called them torture chambers. Again those sounds were not there. In homes video games were not there and color TV which flashes from scene to scene making the brain keep up.
I don't think it's been taken serious enough. Also I think Big Pharm stands to loose money as do schools for keeping the ADD/ADHD going.
Don't get me wrong. I do believe there really also exist ADD ADHD. IMO it is a low fraction of ones being misdiagnosed. A Shrink told me a trick he uses when parents bring in a suspected ADD ADHD child. He watches the kid and gives the kid a strong caffeine pill and watches for change in behavior. The ADD ADHD kids it will calm the others it will either make much worse or no change at all.
All this depends on where the damage lies at. Each person differs. In my case it also triggers upper Torso seizure activity which as I understand it isn't common. I had severe sinus allergies and still do. I take shots for that. That likely damaged my Inner Ears. But I had other sensory issues since birth such as one eye functional vision. I can use both eyes. Never at the same time LOL. That's how I passed two armed forces physicals.
Oddly enough I notice some of my symptoms subsiding a few months ago. I also noticed I was saying what, huh, etc much more. I had to get my hearing aids turned up and that increased all other symptoms again. But I still have to have things repeated to me verbally quite often.
Before I really got bad on concentration I could read books. Not anymore. But for me books especially technical ones I used to retrieve the information I needed from specific sections.
Oddly enough before the damage got bad I was an electrical trouble shooter as a maintenance mechanic. I could shut out the world around me and focus on my task. I lost that as well.
Your fear of high places? OK it's simple. Your brain is geared for self preservation. Whether you realize it or not the brain realizes there is a balance issue. That is where the majority of heights stem from. The brain says danger get away. The worse this got with me the worse my dislike for high places. Falling off a ladder a couple years ago was the last straw LOL.
See if any of this sounds familiar to you. COGNITIVE ASPECTS OF VESTIBULAR DISORDERS
How can you tell if a preschooler has ADHD? They all have the attention span of a gnat.
I believe I am moderately ADHD. If I went to school today instead of the 50’s-60’s, I’d probably be a zombie from the meds. I learned the old fashioned way - if I acted up, I got punished. If I did stupid things, the teacher and my classmates would look at me (most of the class would laugh) and the humiliation would give me opportunities to be more aware and to stem most “episodes” before they developed. Today, they would be punished for noting that I was acting strange because it would be a slap at my self image.
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