Posted on 01/29/2012 9:01:54 PM PST by nickcarraway
THREE million children in this country take drugs for problems in focusing. Toward the end of last year, many of their parents were deeply alarmed because there was a shortage of drugs like Ritalin and Adderall that they considered absolutely essential to their childrens functioning.
But are these drugs really helping children? Should we really keep expanding the number of prescriptions filled?
In 30 years there has been a twentyfold increase in the consumption of drugs for attention-deficit disorder.
As a psychologist who has been studying the development of troubled children for more than 40 years, I believe we should be asking why we rely so heavily on these drugs.
Attention-deficit drugs increase concentration in the short term, which is why they work so well for college students cramming for exams. But when given to children over long periods of time, they neither improve school achievement nor reduce behavior problems. The drugs can also have serious side effects, including stunting growth.
Sadly, few physicians and parents seem to be aware of what we have been learning about the lack of effectiveness of these drugs.
What gets publicized are short-term results and studies on brain differences among children. Indeed, there are a number of incontrovertible facts that seem at first glance to support medication. It is because of this partial foundation in reality that the problem with the current approach to treating children has been so difficult to see.
Back in the 1960s I, like most psychologists, believed that children with difficulty concentrating were suffering from a brain problem of genetic or otherwise inborn origin. Just as Type I diabetics need insulin to correct problems with their inborn biochemistry, these children were believed to require attention-deficit drugs to correct theirs. It turns out, however, that there is little to no evidence
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
It’s OK. With hard work, your kid might win some day.
His balance can be OK but still have poor coordination. I have too wear corrective insoles now too walk. I walked off balance so long arthritis set in as well was born Club footed and now my arches have fallen. For balance issues in the past couple of years I've started using a cane. But I'm now 54. My parents bought me on the average a pair of shoes every one - two months. I broke them over too the side. With the insole and a good pair of work boots I get a couple years use for a pair now. I can't use regular shoes even with the insoles for more than a few minutes.
It is important to get him as much help as you can as early as you can. The sooner he learns to adapt too it the less stress in adult life. I am an extreme case it seems. I did OK till about 37 years old when my sensory system began too show more and more issues including what is called Myoclonic Seizures. Due to certain auditory or visual stimulation I sometimes spasam violently from my shoulders up. The chances your son will ever get too this point is unlikely. I just seem too have a more severe form of this likely several combined issues or disorders involving sensory processing including the Inner Ear. So much so they can't actually name what I have LOL. But for disability I am diagnosed as having General Anxiety Disorder. Back when I got disability I diid not know what I know now. It is G.A.D. but not due to the defined typical cause mental health profession goes by.
When I was very young I had inappropriate or wrong responses for things. If I saw something that scared me I stopped up my ears. I also have had a life long sinus allergy problem. That can also damage the Inner Ear. A kid with sinus allergies needs allergy treatment which usually involves shots. They are well worth it. The shots when I was a kid did not work that well but the ones of today do.
C.A.P.D. can later in life be a trigger for General Anxiety Disorder or Panic Attacks. But the very huge difference has to be understood too treat it. This is sensory trigger and not phobic nor induced by traumatic experiences. IOW patients with this should avoid antidepressants.
Try this site www.dyslexiaonline.com This doctor never treated me nor have I been too his clinic. But his book called "Phobia Free" when no other doctors had any answers this book did for me and made a huge difference in my treatment. In the 1970's he linked many adult anxiety disorders to underlying and usually undetected vestibular disorders. I consider him the pioneer in such research. He was scoffed at for over two decades but Vestibular Researchers in the past decade have proved his early discoveries.
WTH are you talking about? I was commenting on some poor little kid that is pressured into taking amphetamines by his A’hole father. My kid has 12 JO times and went to Eastern Zones as a 9 year old. He has two State records and is getting faster month in, month out. He is utterly dominant. Unlike the 10 year old who supplements and projects to be 5’4, my kid projects to be 6’5. My kid wins plenty (except for butterfly which he is not very good at). In fact, we sometimes pull him from some meets because it is unfair. I really don’t see where you are coming from. Care to elaborate?
There was an article not too long ago on FR about a study done that proved when kids are allowed a couple of hours of outdoor play a day they don’t have ADHD any more. Not sports, not directed play, just letting them run around/bike around etc.
When I was a kid there wasn’t much TV watched, I lived pretty rural and kids were mostly outside unless the weather was bad. I don’t think many kids had ADHA in those days.
My bad I must have been misinformed. Thanks for letting me know the truth.
In today's culture I would be juiced and brilliant. No time for day dreaming. Drugged & oblivious of what God had intended for me. Eternally indebted to Pharmacology.
Parents. Before you dope your child; consider love, diet and exercise. Children are flowers that bloom in their own time, given every opportunity. Patience and Faith will make you COURAGEOUS!
I haven’t given the OT very much credit, but maybe I should. It sounds like OT helped you quite a bit. I’ll give it more time and see if it helps my son. You’ve been through A LOT! But, you’ve noted what’s worked, what’s helped, and what hasn’t and stuck with “therapies” and practices that have worked. Good.
You mentioned that you covered or plugged your ears when something scared you. My son does that, too. Generally though, he’s not scared of much. Very social and will walk up to people in stores (usually older women) and say hi because he knows they like it and appreciate it (and he likes the attention). One more thing that has me curious and comparing you to my son are the allergies. He doesn’t really have typical allergic reactions to stuff - but his nose is perpetually “stuffed”. He hates blowing, so I chalked it up to that. But, I’ll mention it to his pediatrician and see what happens. Oh, and I’ll check out the dyslexiaonline.com website.
You’ve done well for yourself considering all the hurdles you’ve had to jump. You should be proud of your accomplishments. And thanks again. I’ll try to let you know what happens with our son over the next few months.
Maybe a 5 year old boy shouldn’t be asked to sit still in a classroom all day. One of the reasons I’m going to homeschool is that I don’t think a classroom environment is the most conducive to learning.
I had brothers who were like your son. My mom knew that she have to give them more breaks and let them get up and run around the house and hit each other with foam swords and stuff. Eventually they grew up and learned how to sit still and work. Now they’re in college and doing just fine. It just took them longer.
I wasn't that scared of many things as a kid but loud noises like thunder would be horrible for me though. In the past decade I've lost over 50% of my hearing due to Tinitis and Menieres as well as some previous occupational exposures to loud enviroments. I wear hearing aids now. The only good part is it hasw lessened the seizures some.
I tend to agree with you - kids need a lot of active time. The good news about his school is that they have short bursts of learning, matched with equal times of physical activity. So, they have it balanced. The girls aren’t crazy about this (they tend to cluster together and talk), but the boys love it. Plus, there’s a long daily recess and PE multiple times a week.
However, it has little impact on my son. He just wiggles and works really slow and sloppy until it’s break time - disrupting the class every chance he gets. This is frustrating because he knows he isn’t supposed to be disrespectful and he has been punished many many many times for it at home. Didn’t help at all. Or, he will start a worksheet and then look around, not finishing it. At home, I can get a little more work out of him - it’s calm and quiet, but not much. I “homeschooled” him this past summer to see how he’d do before kindergarten. The results were mixed at best. There is something else going on with my kid besides being a 5 year old boy. :)
I’m glad it’s helped with the seizures. That’s scary stuff. It only took a few months for the shots to help with the allergies? Will you stay on them for the rest of your life?
Is he exceptionally smart? Could be he’s bored. Or perhaps his learning style isn’t a classroom style - some kids just learn better hands on. Or is he the kind of kid who is a super extrovert and just *needs* attention?
It’s good that you’ve got a nice private school that will work with you but if that’s still not helping, well, I don’t envy you... good thing for him he’s got a parent who cares enough to not just give up and look for an easy fix!
Hmmm...I thought you were an overbearing sports dad trying to explain away other kids triumphs with wild accusation while bragging about your kid and his projected height.
Clearly, I was wrong.
I'll be on Xanax to control seizures and associated vestibular induced anxiety the rest of my life and likely the allergy shots. I also take Singluar and Claratin for allergy.. I have too take the shots every three weeks now.. It's not bad..
? You said my kid might win one day if he worked hard. That’s when I brought up his accomplishments. Sure you’re not a lib? You make no sense and have problems sequencing.
Oh no, you caught me.
He’s both. He’s smart (but doesn’t every parent say that about their kid?) and he digs attention. Lots of it. So at home, we have had to dole it out carefully. Meaning, he gets a lot of time to tell us what’s on his mind, but he doesn’t get to interrupt adults speaking, phone calls, us doing work, etc.
We’ll get it figured out by the time he’s 18. :) I did get some great advice from a fellow FReeper, so that gives me some hope.
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