Week 4

This week I posted in my "home group" about ADHD...  I left it to my blog to reflect on how I have had to deal with ADHD.  First off, I have a daughter just 7 years old and in 2nd grade who excels academically, physically and emotionally!  I have never had problems with her in school until recently.  Where we live we do not find out who our child's teacher is until the day before school starts, this year I had an uneasy feeling as to who my child's teacher would be.  Rumor was that one of the 2nd grade teachers was ill all of the time and missed several days, even weeks at a time and all I can remember thinking was that I hope my child didn't get placed in her class!  Sure enough she was and this is when all of my problems started.  A couple weeks after school started there was an open house for all of 2nd grade (meaning we as parents go and see where our children's classrooms are and meet the teacher), I specifically remember my daughters teacher speaking at this open house and telling us about her background, degrees and personal life and all I thought to myself was we were in trouble.  During the open house we received a couple of placement test results that our children had taken the week prior and I could not believe what I was seeing...  My daughter who in 1st grade was accessed as reading at a 5th grade level, was not even capable of reading at a 2nd grade level???  I had questions, so as the open house was coming to an end and parent's leaving I stayed to talk to the teacher, as I was talking to her and addressing my concerns for my child she quickly replied, "have you ever had your daughter tested for ADHD?"  I responded telling her NO this has never been anything to cross my mind, my daughter excels in everything she does!  She began to go on about how my daughter was so disruptive, fidgety, and not excelling academically, I was absolutely appalled, I had to ask her if we were talking about the same child??  She told me that because of the things she is noticing during class that all signs pointed to my daughter being ADHD and thought that medication would greatly improve her academically.  I was astonished, needless to say she was the teacher and was it possible that my child was acting out during class time?  I quickly made my child a doctors appointment and as I began to explain myself to the doctor (she has known my daughter since birth) said you have to be kidding me?  I said I am not, her teacher is telling me she is doing all of these things during class time and can't concentrate.  None the less my daughters doctor does NOT feel like she is ADHD and therefore, I will take it for what it's worth.  At home we read every night without incident, we practice spelling, we do 4th grade level math, and I have NEVER noticed my child having a problem concentrating....

SO THIS NEXT BLURB IS WHAT I POSTED IN MY "HOME GROUP" FOR THIS WEEK AS NOT ALL OF YOU ARE IN MY "HOME GROUP" READING AND COMMENTING ON WHAT WAS POSTED!

ADHD.... Where do you even start? I have extremely mixed feelings for this disorder. First off the text and article state many reasoning as to what ADHD is and where it stems from. Second, is this really a disorder or happens to be the nature of particular children? The text states "Not all children with ADHA show all symptoms to the same degree." This statement contradicts itself, so what in fact determines what ADHD is and to what degree? Hyperactivity is one symptom that states, "Children with ADHD are usually energetic, fidgety, and unable to keep still-especially in situations (such as school classrooms) where they need to limit their activity." Most children are energetic, fidgety, and unable to keep still at a young age as is, so because the classroom is a popular place where children should be the most attentive and their not indicates a symptom of ADHD? I think not, some children are more advanced then others and become bored therefore, they tend to not be interested and find other things that keep them interested. Inattention is another symptom that states, "Youngsters with ADHD do not pay attention in class and seem unable to concentrate on schoolwork; instead, they skip from one task to another." Again, the only example to prove a child is inattentive is in the classroom... How is this proving a child is ADHD? As stated in my previous statement, some children are more advanced then others and may become bored. Impulsivity is another symptom related to ADHD and it stated as, "Children with ADHD often act before thinking; they may run into a street before looking for traffic or interrupt others who are already speaking." Impulsivity is human nature, in the sense that children are going to run into the street before looking for traffic until they are taught otherwise, as well as, interrupt others unless they are taught not to. Reasons stated do not prove that a child has a disorder requiring medication to fix problems at school or common sense thoughts.
Methylphenidate (Ritalin) is used as part of a treatment program to control symptoms of ADHD. Methylphenidate (Ritalin) is also used to treat narcolepsy (a sleep disorder that causes excessive daytime sleepiness and sudden attacks of sleep). Methylphenidate is in a class of medications called central nervous system (CNS) stimulants. It works by changing the amounts of certain natural substances in the brain. "It works by changing the amounts of certain NATURAL SUBSTANCES IN THE BRAIN", this statement clearly sums up what the drug most commonly prescribed for ADHD does to the human brain, it CHANGES the amounts of NATURAL SUBSTANCES IN THE BRAIN. When I think of the word "natural" I think of this is how the human brain works and why change something that doesn't need to be medicated rather than be taught right from wrong? After all, most of the symptoms of ADHD are happening at school and doesn't indicate that there is a disorder behind it. I am in college (obviously) and I get bored, fidgety, and disruptive in class, does this mean I have ADHD? Maybe but I doubt it, I am bored.