What is ADHD - Page 7

[TCMoulton]

Originally Posted by WildKingdom 

This just keeps getting better and better.
So, who created AIDS? The Rockefellers? Rothschilds? Illuminati? And why did they create it? To what end?

Lord Voldemort?

[catnip]

Originally Posted by TCMoulton 

Lord Voldemort?

ROFL

[pek64]

I think the atmosphere surrounding ADHD changed between 1983 and the late 90's, when I was first making my decision to homeschool. There was an attitude of diagnosing any child who was a challenge for the teacher, and a push for medicating, so the school would have an easier time. It was an attitude I dislike. Besides, I had other reasons for choosing homeschooling, as well.

[Sharlla]

Originally Posted by pek64 

I think the atmosphere surrounding ADHD changed between 1983 and the late 90's, when I was first making my decision to homeschool. There was an attitude of diagnosing any child who was a challenge for the teacher, and a push for medicating, so the school would have an easier time. It was an attitude I dislike. Besides, I had other reasons for choosing homeschooling, as well.

oh and they are still doing it.  my friend put her kid in kindy and they practically made it out like he wouldnt be allowed at school without meds.

[kathymuggle]

Well, I will share my story/decision around ADHD and my son.

My son is 16.  He was home-schooled until last year -so 15.   

I knew from fairly early on that he was "spacey".  We lovingly referred to him as a space cadet.  

I did not seek a diagnosis as he was HSed.  He was Hsed for a variety of reasons - but yeah, one of them was his suspected ADHD.  I did not like what I saw of the schools handling of ADHD.  Almost every child I know with ADHD (and I know a good number - I work in a library and am fairly active in my community) is on ADHD medication.  Those very few who do not medicate  are under a fair amount of pressure from the school system to medicate their child.  As these children enter high school, they are streamed into lower level classes.  Schools in this area have a 90% graduation goal - to achieve that, they put any child with any issues in classes they know they can pass.  I cannot think of one child in academic classes with an official ADHD diagnosis.  Not one.  My son, who is not diagnosed with ADHD, is in academic classes.  Go figure.  He does struggle a bit - particularly with the organisational end of classes, but not with content. We are working on it.  The school does help as well.  

So….DS does know he is ADHDish.  It is right - and let's face it, people know they cannot focus or organise as well as others.  We definitely talk about strengths more than limitations in regards to ADHD, but we sure as hell do not deny or brush issues under the rug.  We try to find and utilize tools for ADHD - which is easier said than done as spaciness interferes with intent, sometimes.

In any event, I am occasionally jealous of MDC'ers who have wonderful schools who help children greatly with their ADHD.  We have to remember that is not always the case, though.  Every area is different.  In my area the stats I see seem to point to thinking carefully about disclosing ADHD status to the school.  You will be pressured to medicate and your child will be streamed into lower level classes.  Maybe you can avoid this, but you would have to fight, fight, fight.  

[catnip]

Originally Posted by pek64 

I think the atmosphere surrounding ADHD changed between 1983 and the late 90's, when I was first making my decision to homeschool. There was an attitude of diagnosing any child who was a challenge for the teacher, and a push for medicating, so the school would have an easier time. It was an attitude I dislike. Besides, I had other reasons for choosing homeschooling, as well.

Yeah, when I was a kid, I saw a very different picture. When I was in school, no one had ever even HEARD of ADHD. There were 2 other kids  in my class, one who know knows he has ADHD, and one that I am willing to bet did, but were simply labeled 'lazy, willful, troublemaker' and perhaps, worst, just 'bad kids.' And oh boy nellie, did they live up to those labels.

Meds can be very bad. They are overused, and sometimes misused. They carry very real risks and ill effects, that are usually glossed over. And, oh, our public school system sort of sucks.

My best friend often refers to the science fiction/fantasy fandom community as the world's largest ADHD support group, and frankly, he's not wrong. I learn a lot from talking to other people with the same challenges I have.