STOP labeling every kid w/ a lack of discipline as ADD or ADHD!!!!

I think you raise a good point because when I was younger ( I'm 21 now), you would very rarely hear of kids being medicated for such a condition but these days you hear of it all the time. I think there is more to ADD and ADHD than a hyper child who lacks discipline. You're right, behavior from a child doesn't always stem from a medical condition but could have a lot to do with what they're learning at home. I don't think a child should be diagnosed or medicated for having ADD or ADHD right away, I think it takes more of an analysis.

I have to reply to this post on behalf of my wife, her eldest son suffers from adhd with other problems attached to this, he was diagnosed in sept 04 and the only medication he has been on is omega3 oils and briefly on melatonin to try help him to sleep, she has tried diets, rewards extra but none have so far been the right one, she has also done an adult education course called improving your childs behaviour. NOT all parents with children with these conditions want meds for their kids but before ppl comment they might want to look at what the med is actually doing, because some are actually trying to help with sleep, which in turn helps with behaviour or omega 3 which helps with concentration which also in turn might help behaviour.

I agree. Sometimes the child just needs some extra love and some extra guidance from their parents. Kids seek attention and act out on purpose, hoping they will get some kind of reaction from their parents. Yes, I believe there are kids that actually need medication, but I also believe that sometimes it has something to do with the parenting skills. :)

I agree wholeheartedly. I know that there are legitimate cases of ADD and ADHD, however, I think most of the cases are misdiagnosed. I have personally seen this in my neighbours kids, they all apparently have ADHD, however I highly doubt they actually do. Their parents don't discipline them at all and they don't follow through with punishing. However it is not just the parents to blame, the schools are finding it easier to push these kids off as ADD or ADHD instead of talking to the parents and/or disciplining them themselves. And the schools aren't failing students that deserve to be held back. I worked in a school board and I was discussing with one teacher how she has only been able to fail a student twice in the past 15 years because under the regulations here parents can override the teacher on pass/fail in grade school, once they get to highschool its a different matter, but up until grade school the parent can tell the school NOT to fail a student. Most parents opt not to fail their own child because they feel it will hurt their self esteem.

What!?! You're nuts lady! Med em all and let the government sort em out! lol Seriously kids today are lacking discipline because parents have abdicated their proper role. Most parents today want to be progressive, to be their child's friend, or make them feel good. Or else they are so wrapped up in their own lives to even notice they have kids. It's funny how those would end up pretty much the same. Parents need to learn to be parents again. The most loving thing a parent can do for a child is to instill in them a set of values and self discipline. And self discipline starts with parental discipline. Our democratic society assumes that people will be mature and responsible, and the breakdown of personal discipline undermines our freedom. We've gotten to a place where people can't think for themselves, so someone else has to make the decisions without us. Parents give up their rights and proper role to the church, the school, the little league coaches and the child's peers, and then sit back and shake their heads at how bad kids are these days. There are sick kids, but mostly there are sick families, and the cure is called parenting.

It reminds me of Helen Keller...wonder what she'd be diagnosed with today? Her teacehr worked a miracle with her, in a case that is thought to be the first instance of behavioral therapy. If such miracles can be worked with a child who was deaf, mute, and blind....why not with kids who don't have those multiple handicaps? Here's the link to an article that I wrote about that: http://members.aol.com/jpc57/odd.html Julie web manager www.drdavestein.com

I am so with you on this. I am afraid of how many children, particularly boys, are being medicated. Over medicated really. My son is hugely bright but has had focus issues in the classroom that led to the school wanting me to have him tested for ADHD. At first I agreed to have him tested, but we didn't do it because I knew that I would not go to medication except as an absolute last resort. So we are focusing on behavior and diet and we've had some success. I'm not saying that I am completely against medication (although I'm mostly against meds). I know some people who have had great success with medication for their children. I just know that for my family, for my son, we will try everything we can possibly try before even thinking about meds.

I am with you 100%. Even some of the kids that do have ADD or ADHD can be treated by changing their diet or just special teachings. Kids don't need to be doped up. yes, some do but I really wonder how many really need it and how mnay are getting it just as a quick fix.

For a very long time I have been concerned about this rush to diagnose ADD, ADHD in our children. It appears that teachers besides teaching are allowed to diagnose this condition and demand a child be placed on medications. There are a great many extremely intelligent children who having become bored with a classroom, begin to act out, ADHD or ADD will be claimed the problem when it is challenge the child needs, not medication. Like adults children are all different from each other. Some may sit quietly for hours absorbing ideas, others 'think on their feet' best, how many adults does anyone know who pace while thinking over a problem? Some children need more physical activity than others, some obviously should have more. Sometimes it isn't bad parenting, but fearful parenting, as it seems the state has more and more control over child rearing in our families. With most families needing two incomes just to provide the basics, with grandparents often far away, aunts and uncles no longer an integral part of the family, is it any wonder our children are lacking in the amount of attention they should be receiving? In the effort to give more to our children, they also loose things money can't buy...things that nothing can regain. Too often a child is medicated to fit the 'norm' rather than being allowed to explore what is beyond. Tired parents, over worked teachers, managed medical with assembly line patients... Is it any wonder that everything is solved with a pill?

I totally, 200% agree with you, bad parenting is rife. The world seems to be speeding up, so much so there is such impatience when dealing with children. Parents "don't have the time". And you hit the nail on the head when you talk about lack of attention, love and nurturing. And what's so tragic is that adults are taking the same road to medication heaven for things like depression and anxiety issues because they too are not supported in the love and nurturing and emotional stakes. I worry that this is a train that can't be stopped, but I hope to the high heavens it does stop. We are creating a society who thinks taking medication is normal. It is not normal.

Yes, I agree with you. We must thoroughly examine the child first before labeling him with this ADD and ADHD thing.

Yup, I agree...but with us, it was her teacher. Our daughter was in grade 2. Her teacher liked sweet, cute little girls that sat still and didn't say 'boo'. Well our daughter was busy from the get go...she learned to run first, then to walk. Anyways, this teacher thought that she had ADHD and strongly suggested we get her tested...we talked to our dr and he thought she was fine...so see, its not ALWAYS the parent's fault!

I agree with you 100% but people find it too easy to say they have a disorder medicate them. I know of 3 kids that were medicated for a while until there parents decided to take them of the medication adn deal with the problem the kids were fine at home but in school they would become disruptive. After about 4 months of the mom adn dad trying different things they figuired there kid was bored in class so they got extra work given to her and she was not a problem, she did the work was not disruptive, behaved and is on the honor roll. When the other parents found out this they tried the similar thing and the kids behaviour improved and they did the extra work but the marks were not there but the kids were not having problems. I belive people take the medicate the kid so i do not have to parent them as a way out of being one.

I feel you. It truly angers me. I work in the dorms at one of the colleges and there's this kid that comes in, totally disrespects me by violating my personal space AND not abiding by my office's policies. I told him once, twice, and multiple times not to dig through my cabinets but he never listens. Finally I had to yell at him because it jsut went too far. Some of his friends, then came in and said "You know, he has ADD" and looked at me as if I was a bad person. I am sorry but I don't feel like just because you have a disease, you can be allowed to act that way. It's really ridiculous.

I do agree they are too quick to diagnose children these days with ADHD or ADD. Some kids do actually have a chemical imbalance in their brain that cause this behavior and some just want the attention. They really need to check the child and his background before they diagnose and medicate. Some children act this way also because they have been sexually abused. If that is the case no amount of medicine will help but only make it worse. My son is ADHD and does need his meds to help him stay focused at school. When he gets home he is a total terror just like other kids. Actually hes not that bad but he is a normal kid when home. We have tried him without it and he just cant stay on track. They over medicated him at one point to where he was like a zombie so I took him off all his meds for a month and let him detox. Then we started over with one that dont stimulate and he does great. All you parents that have unruly kids really check into it before you medicate. They really may not need it.

As a retired Mental Health Counselor I agree with you. I often saw parents seeking a way to "fix" their child. They would describe to me the behaviors of a fairly normal, active child and suggest s/he was ADHD and needed medication. Sometimes, I found the parents were overaxious about their child's behavior and merely needed to be reassured the child was normal. Sometimes I discovered the parents were lazy and didn't want to cope with the child's energy. Sometimes the parents had created a monster from their own inadequacies as parents, e.g., lack of control and discipline. In all of these cases medication was not the answer. Unfortunately, in mental health diagnoses, it is often difficult to distinguish normal, age appropriate behavior from abnormal All of us have some abnormal tendencies at one time or another. A child may be easily diagnosed ADHD incorrectly by a counselor who does not have adequate information or is too willing to do what the parent seems to want. Add this tendency to the fact that modern society is often seeking quick-fix answers to what is seen as a problem. Medicines are frequently seen as one way to produce that quick-fix. I would encourage all parents, teachers and health care professionals to careful investigation and consideration before putting a child on any medication, particularly for ADHD.