More spanking and no snacks= Fewer cases of ADHD

[KBepote]

Why am I not surprised that Generation Chicken Breast has time to bloviate about ASHES but can't be bothered to say a word about the tornado victims.

[bananacat]

Sadly, this attitude isn't unique to fundies. I know plenty of mainstream people who think all the kids with ADD/ADHD just need a really good smack and/or some other kind of discipline, and I also know a bunch of people who think it isn't really a real disorder.

[polabear]

My husband and stepson both have ADHD. My husband was never medicated, and after years of struggle, he has developed coping mechanisms. He took 8 years to graduate college, for example.

My stepson is medicated, and he is a completely different kid when medicated. Without Ritalin, he can't focus on anything. He can't sit still. When I first met my husband, I remember telling him to just make my stepson do his homework. I quickly learned that I was completely misunderstanding the situation.

I can say that people with ADHD are fun. I love how their mind leaps. I'm never bored, that's for sure.

[Nickery]

So my ADHD child is also allergic to seafood. Do I spank twice as much or cut out meals too?

[KBepote]

Why am I not surprised that Generation Chicken Breast has time to bloviate about ASHES but can't be bothered to say a word about the tornado victims.

I must learn to proofread more than once when using my phone. ASHES = ADHD.

[August]

So my ADHD child is also allergic to seafood. Do I spank twice as much or cut out meals too?

Both, of course!

[Lulu]

Crap in crap out. Cut out the crap food, crap beliefs, crap attitude, crap disciplining and perhaps some of these kids can shine.

[NoneandDoneinCali]

Are they still trying to remove it from DSM classification. I recall a huge drive to do so, with it being based on purely behavioural criteria rather than any neurological or psychological criteria?

I always felt the diagnostic criteria was so broad as to positively make it easy for professionals to go down the easy route of medicating. I think this makes it doubly hard for parents who wish to pursue other therapies really difficult. Each child is an individual rather than a multi-choice and should in my view be treated that way holistically.

Having a label which is diagnosed under the umbrella of a Mental Disorder is not for me the answer.

There again Kelly thinks it's all about spanking and snacks. These poor kids and their parents face as much stigma from all angles.

No, ADHD is a real thing. It is qualitatively different from an energetic or cranky child, in terms of both severity and chronicity. Medication isn't always the answer though, I agree. As far as labels go, sometimes they're a necessary evil for diagnosis and treatment - there are interventions recommended for different collections of symptoms, which have been grouped together for accuracy and convenience. The good news is most people "outgrow" their ADHD before the end of high school.

[Rescinded and Mended]

I was diagnosed with ADHD as a small child. Fortunately, my mother chose not to medicate and instead attempted to ease my symptoms by changing my diet, such as by cutting out preservatives, sugar and synthetic dyes. It did help to some degree. In my teens, I was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid. Some kids who have both ADHD and hypothyroidism are unable to properly metabolize ADHD medications. I've heard of incidents where the meds built up in their systems and killed them, so I'm glad she didn't force the medication on me. I have a friend whose son has ADHD, and she alters his meds on a monthly basis.

*In no way am I suggesting that this is the norm - many children benefit positively from ADHD medication, my point was that sometimes parents and doctors might be too quick to medicate, and it's always good to investigate natural alternatives and test for metabolic issues before ADHD meds are dispensed - the effects can sometimes be scary or even fatal.

[AVENues]

Crap in crap out. Cut out the crap food, crap beliefs, crap attitude, crap disciplining and perhaps some of these kids can shine.

I agree with every single word of this.

[miffy]

My mum has been a teacher since the days when you could rap a kid across the knuckles with a cane. She is in favour of corporal punishment but not for the ADHD kids and nothing than could cause any pain or leave a mark. Apparently there is a type of older male child who just need a warning tap sometimes. For the ADHD kids she advocates no synthetic food dye and 'a treadmill in the store room'.

[OkToBeTakei]

No, ADHD is a real thing. It is qualitatively different from an energetic or cranky child, in terms of both severity and chronicity. Medication isn't always the answer though, I agree. As far as labels go, sometimes they're a necessary evil for diagnosis and treatment - there are interventions recommended for different collections of symptoms, which have been grouped together for accuracy and convenience. The good news is most people "outgrow" their ADHD before the end of high school.

I think you misunderstand. There is no doubt ADHD is a real illness. The above is the criteria used to diagnose as per DSM IV the categories of mental disorder used both in the UK and in the US. My point was that labelling with a Mental disorder is not helpful. I realise sometimes a label is a necessary evil to get help in some instances but there has/was an indication at least in the UK to remove ADHD from the DSM as it is not a mental disorder in the true sense and wether we like it or not a Mental disorder diagnosis comes with a stigma. I would like to see a separate diagnostic tool used in children. One which focussed as I said more on the child holistically not as a tick box list of symptoms.

Make the professionals work harder. Make them look at every aspect of the child, personality, neurological, physical, social aspects, family, schooling, siblings, yes Kelly :P nutrition EVERY little thing. Kids deserve all of that. Not just some Doctor who is tired of listening to the parents and prescribes medication as a FIRST line. I realise that paints a poor picture of said medical profession (of which in the psychiatric field I am one) but whilst medication will be the only answer for some, it should not be the go to answer for all.

In an ideal world.

[Koala]

Apparently there is a type of older male child who just need a warning tap sometimes.

No. There is no child that "needs" to be hit sometimes.

[Koala]

I still miss Lissar. Team Lissar, you know... :(

me too :cry:

[polabear]

*In no way am I suggesting that this is the norm - many children benefit positively from ADHD medication, my point was that sometimes parents and doctors might be too quick to medicate, and it's always good to investigate natural alternatives and test for metabolic issues before ADHD meds are dispensed - the effects can sometimes be scary or even fatal.

I agree with this but I think some parents don't move to medication quickly enough. This is from before I met my husband, but they tried all the natural alternatives. They started him on meds when he was 4, after he started talking about wanting to die. ADHD kids take huge hits in self esteem from a very young age. Imagine being constantly in trouble over things you can't control, but every one else around you can. My husband is still convinced he is dumb, even though he is incredibly smart.

[August]

I agree with this but I think some parents don't move to medication quickly enough. This is from before I met my husband, but they tried all the natural alternatives. They started him on meds when he was 4, after he started talking about wanting to die. ADHD kids take huge hits in self esteem from a very young age. Imagine being constantly in trouble over things you can't control, but every one else around you can. My husband is still convinced he is dumb, even though he is incredibly smart.

I know someone who resisted medicating her child for a long time. This was an incredibly sweet child, generous, kind, loving, but so distractable he couldn't make it down a slide without wandering off to do something else. He was always always always in trouble. He'd end every circle time at preschool in the hallway as punishment. None of the other children liked him because he annoyed them.

The last time I saw his mother she was in the process of getting the diagnosis and medication. She seemed to regret delaying (didn't grill her, obviously). It just seemed sad that this lovely boy spent several years being the outcast when he didn't want to alienate people, he just couldn't control himself.

[formergothardite]

me too :cry:

Me three. :cry:

[Rescinded and Mended]

I agree with this but I think some parents don't move to medication quickly enough. This is from before I met my husband, but they tried all the natural alternatives. They started him on meds when he was 4, after he started talking about wanting to die. ADHD kids take huge hits in self esteem from a very young age. Imagine being constantly in trouble over things you can't control, but every one else around you can. My husband is still convinced he is dumb, even though he is incredibly smart.

Polabear, I completely identify with this. I can clearly remember an incident where I was in a second grade class. Because my doctor had told my mother I was to avoid certain synthetic dyes so they wouldn't aggravate my ADHD, my mom sent me to school with a pair of gloves. When I put them on to do a craft activity, my teacher, who didn't like me, openly ridiculed me in front of the entire class. Literally stopped the lesson so everyone could turn and stare at me, while I was forced to stammer out an explanation. She said I was being ridiculous and that I was not to wear the gloves in class because it was stupid, and that ADHD was a myth.

I also took grief from my dad and his new wife for trying to follow the dietary resrictions she tried to set for me to treat my ADHD when I would visit them on the weekend, again, all on the basis that ADHD was a myth.

At least there is a greater understanding of the disorder nowadays, and both children and adults can seek help for it. No one should be treated cruelly for trying to manage the symptoms of something they can't control. :cry:

[urban teacher]

As a special education teacher, I am convinced that some kids just get put into more restrictive placements because of unmedicated ADHD. I've seen the self-esteem issues in high school and they generally lead to prison time.

[Muriel]

As a special education teacher, I am convinced that some kids just get put into more restrictive placements because of unmedicated ADHD. I've seen the self-esteem issues in high school and they generally lead to prison time.

That's just awful ! I work in a young delinquents prison (I don't know how to say that properly in English), as a juvenile justice educator and a lot of our prisoners have undiagnosed mental health issues... Sometimes, it's in the prison that get medicated for the first time... That's a great shame and we try to improve that but that's not easy...

[pamplemousse]

This comment may seem out of left field, but here goes...

On a South Park episode, a video showing a proposed way to handle ADHD kids in the classroom was shown. In the video, three kids were hyper, jumping in their seats, and babbling. The "teacher" smacked one kid, yelled at him (her?) to shut up and study...the kid did that. Did that to another kid. The other kid, as soon as he saw the "teacher" start to reprimand him, shut up and studied.

Real life is not like South Park...and smacking a kid and yelling at him/her to shut up/sit down/whatever does not make ADHD go away.

[Rosa]

When the number of adults who choose to seriously limit their diets and have someone standing over them "structuring" their environment for them matches the number who think that's the answer for small people who they are in charge of, I'll think parents are "too quick to medicate".

I was raised with the "more spankings" approach to making kids sit still & concentrate, and I wouldnt' do that to a kid (luckily, my mom - unlike Ms. Kelly Chickenbreast, is a good person. When the spanking didn't work she eventually gave it up instead of escalating.)

i know a number of homeschooling parents who homeschooled to do the special diet/tailored school situation for their kids, and it works GREAT - until the kids are teenagers and don't have someone sitting on them every minute. Then the drugs work better. If you think about it, most people learn this on their own, diagnosis or no diagnosis - the vast majority of adults use drugs like caffeine to manage their productivity and focus.