Sandra Brown

>go to http://www.borntoexplore.org for alternative adhd info. It is the
best
site I have found

Thank you, thank you, Mary for this link!!!!

I just spent a few hours exploring this site, and it was the best investment
I could have made for my sanity and my family sake. I have four young
children, and they all are quite spirited. It is so wonderful to affirm
these positive qualities, and work with the child instead of against them.
I found a lot in this site that really spoke to me, as well, and the
frustration i suffered for years and years in public school. I was so
burned out by school by the time I got to college that I took a year off
after my first semester.

I am starting a spirited child study group, and this site had some excellent
book suggestions. I am going to make a reading list now, and get a flyer
together to hand out tomorrow at the LLL meeting. I have a group of moms
with preschoolers and young kids waiting to hear about this group. I think
I have found a good focus for it.

Warmly,
Sandra Brown
Ann Arbor, MI

Maura Seger

>From: "Sandra Brown" <sbrown2@...>
>
>>go to http://www.borntoexplore.org for alternative adhd info. It is the
>best
>site I have found
>
>Thank you, thank you, Mary for this link!!!!
>


I just took a quick look at this site and I'm heading back for more. Thank
you!!!!

Five years ago, when the kids were still in school, we saw an ADD
"diagnosis" slapped on ds and were encouraged to medicate him. The speed
with which all this was done by totally unqualified teachers and one
off-the-wall pediatrician horrified us. Instead, we started hsing and have
never looked back. BTW, he's almost thirteen now and a totally great kid,
if I do say so myself <g>. Same for 13 yo dd who I'm convinced would have
been targeted in the same way had we remained where we were.

One thing though from my quick read at this site, if creativity and "ADD"
are linked (as I believe they may very well be), what are the consequences
of drugging a sizeable chunk of the population into conformity? Twenty
years down the line are we going to be wondering where the artists, writers,
inventors, entrepreneurs, etc. have gone to?

Maura

[email protected]

In a message dated 8/3/99 10:49:59 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
mseger@... writes:

<< Twenty
years down the line are we going to be wondering where the artists, writers,
inventors, entrepreneurs, etc. have gone to? >>

Well a good beginning to investigating this is at www.drugawareness.org

Charlotte

mrstar

"Twenty
years down the line are we going to be wondering where the artists, writers,
inventors, entrepreneurs, etc. have gone to?"


yup!

[email protected]

In a message dated 08/03/1999 1:50:04 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
mseger@... writes:

<< Twenty years down the line are we going to be wondering where the
artists, writers,
inventors, entrepreneurs, etc. have gone to? >>

Well said, Maura.My dh and I are both artists. when he was in 1st grade,
the school called my mil to say that they were "terribly sorry, but your son
has an IQ of 54" My mil agreed with his teacher that it made no sense. The
school retested him and came up with an IQ of 56!!!
I was told that i had a great potential that I wasn't meeting.
We now have our own pottery business and also a gallery.
Debra

Maura Seger

--


>From: Buresmom@...
>
>In a message dated 08/03/1999 1:50:04 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
>mseger@... writes:
>
><< Twenty years down the line are we going to be wondering where the
>artists, writers,
> inventors, entrepreneurs, etc. have gone to? >>
>
> Well said, Maura.My dh and I are both artists. when he was in 1st grade,
>the school called my mil to say that they were "terribly sorry, but your
son
>has an IQ of 54" My mil agreed with his teacher that it made no sense. The
>school retested him and came up with an IQ of 56!!!
> I was told that i had a great potential that I wasn't meeting.
> We now have our own pottery business and also a gallery.
> Debra
>


I heard the "she's not living up to her potential" line so often it sounded
like a chant. When we began homeschooling very suddenly, I did a lot of
soul-searching to try to figure out if my willingness to jump into it head
first was really meeting the kids' needs or just reflective of my own
loathing of school. Five years down the line, I still don't know the answer
to that. I'm just glad it's working out so well.

Because we've been out of the school culture for five years, I hadn't kept
up on the increase in Ritalin, etc. use in kids. Frankly, the situation
seemed so bad back when I was aware of it that I didn't think in terms of it
getting worse. Wrong! A friend of mine who teaches tells me the most
bizarre thing she sees happening is kids being rushed to get on line to get
their "meds" so they can get back to class in time for their DARE program.
Huh???

Maura

Thomas and Nanci Kuykendall

A friend of mine who teaches tells me the most
>bizarre thing she sees happening is kids being rushed to get on line to get
>their "meds" so they can get back to class in time for their DARE program.
>Huh???
>
>Maura


What parent could, in good conscious, medicate their child daily like that?
How can we know what the long term effects of such action will be? It
makes me sick, like folks who drive around with their kids bouncing all
over the car without seatbelts while they puff away on cigaretts with the
windows rolled up. Or the people whose kids run around in the street (I
mean 3-4-5 year olds) without an adult in sight.

Of course, if the condition has been carefully diagnosed and medication is
required as a small PART of a course of treatment, with the ultimte goal to
get them functioning without it, that is definately a responsible option.
I could keep my son overmedicated very easily with all of his special needs
and allergies, but I much prefer to treat him in other ways and keep the
drugs out of his little body.

Nanci K. in Idaho

Maura Seger

>From: Thomas and Nanci Kuykendall <tn-k4of5@...>
>

>
>
>What parent could, in good conscious, medicate their child daily like that?
> How can we know what the long term effects of such action will be?

I get the impression a significant number of people just haven't given it a
lot of thought. They've been raised to defer to "experts" including teachers
and doctors, they may be feeling tremendously pressured from other aspects
of their lives, and they tell themselves they're doing what's best. When
junior comes back with more positive comments from his teacher and maybe
better grades which are sometimes very subjective, their decision is
affirmed.

What just blows me away, besides the whole creativity aspect, is that we
seem to have labeled normal behavior among young males in particular as a
disease and are treating them accordingly. I can't begin to imagine the
consequences of that.

>
>Of course, if the condition has been carefully diagnosed and medication is
>required as a small PART of a course of treatment, with the ultimte goal to
>get them functioning without it, that is definately a responsible option.


That's a different story and I'm sure there are very conscientious parents
who are taking this tack.

Maura

Michele Moss

> From: "B & T Simpson" <michigan@...>
>
> I think all of you who are bashing parents of ADD children should
> think long and hard about what it is like for these children and
> their families before placing this kind of judgement on them,
> obviously you do not have ADD children, "busy " children and ADD
> children are two completely different species!

Hello, i'm pretty new here but want to comment on your above
statement "busy" children and "ADD" children are two completely
different species. i think that was exactly the point that some
people were trying to make in pointing out how quickly the school
systems and other professionals are eager to slap an ADD diagnosis on
a "busy" kid! I agree that this happens far too often for the
convenience of the schools. i have a busy kid and i've already had a
taste of this recently. We were at the park and a gal who had been
off in the distance watching my 3 yo son play with her 5 yo son came
over and struck up a conversation with me. they were having fun and
getting along but she had been closely watching his behavior - or
should i say "energy level". turns out she works at the "Head Start"
school and was suggesting that i should look into getting Sterling
enrolled. we were on the subject of how advanced he is and she
proceeded to tell me about how they have "free testing" 3 times a year so
you can find out where your child is at even if you don't plan on
enrolling them into the school. i took it as being more of
a skills and academic test combined with developmental skills so that
they know how to place them with other kids of the same level. well,
just for kicks, i decided to look into it further for the testing
even though i had no plans to enroll him. funny... they test in
November? h-m-m-m. so what is covered in this testing i ask! and i
quote "Oh, we are looking for any deficits or learning disorders the
child might have!" URGH!!!! so this "teacher" who is not qualified
to make this sort of diagnosis had concluded in 15 minutes of
watching Sterling on the playground that he needed to be tested for a
learning disorder?? she obviously concluded ADD just because of his
spontanity and energy level! NO THANK YOU!

i hope this helps with the other side of the picture and why some of
us go bonkers over the idea of "busy kids" being diagnosed as ADD and
being drugged into submission for the convenience of the schools.
and yes i do agree that some kids truly are ADD and can benefit
greatly from the proper treatment whether it be Ritalin or some other
alternative method that works and that is appropriate for the degree of
the ADD.

i'd love to respond to more of your message but it is LATE and i need
some sleep.



Michele Moss
Mom of Sterling Tyler age 3 yrs old
Parents of Spirited Kids Resource Web site:
http://www.icstech.net/~michele
Parents of Spirited Kids Discussion Group:
http://www.egroups.com/list/psk

B & T Simpson

I think all of you who are bashing parents of ADD children should think long
and hard about what it is like for these children and their families before
placing this kind of judgement on them, obviously you do not have ADD
children, "busy " children and ADD children are two completely different
species! I have an ADD child and two that are not and a fourth who is to
young to know, Putting my daughter on meds does not in any way inhibit who
she is or her creativity! infact she has been spending a significant amount
of time drawing dolphins which happen to be her passion, something she had
no patience for without meds, My daughter was one who when she was in
school, took her meds and also participated in the DARE program of which she
was a proud member of, and I don't for one second appreciate the
insinuation that just because she has to take medication she shouldn't
participate in the dare program, and is this supposed to mean that you
assume she must be a drug addict? and I do not for a second put my child on
meds so that I don't have to spend any time with her, infact just the
opposite, without it she is not emotionally functional enough to be civil to
anyone and just flat out beligerant about everything, with it she goes back
to the wonderful loving child I have always known her to be! there was a
statement made about the parents of these kids being compared to people who
let their children bounce around the car, most of the severe add children I
know wouldn't be able to be restrained without meds, some of these kids ( a
great deal of the severe cases) can't keep these kids in anything, beds ,
cribs, carseats ect...... and it comes as a great releif for the parents of
these children to be able to have things like restraints finally work! you
people who think you know so much about other peoples children and the life
they must live have no clue how deep the love runs for these children and
how far the parents would go to protect them and help them whatever it took!
so before you go accusing these parents of just being lazy or bad parents
maybe you should take a good hard long look at what they go thru every day
of their lives and be thankful for the fact that you don't have to
experience what we do everyday , and that you don't have to spend every
waking moment dealing with and protecting them from the kind of ignorance
that is out there with regards to ADD ~!!!!!!!!
Tanya Ohio (who wished they had diagnosed my ADD during my school years!)
>


<<<<<<<<<A friend of mine who teaches tells me the most
>>bizarre thing she sees happening is kids being rushed to get on line to
get
>>their "meds" so they can get back to class in time for their DARE program.
>>Huh???
>>
>>Maura>>>>>>>>>
>
>
><<<<What parent could, in good conscious, medicate their child daily like
that?
> How can we know what the long term effects of such action will be? It
>makes me sick, like folks who drive around with their kids bouncing all
>over the car without seatbelts while they puff away on cigaretts with the
>windows rolled up. Or the people whose kids run around in the street (I
>mean 3-4-5 year olds) without an adult in sight. >>>
>
><<<Of course, if the condition has been carefully diagnosed and medication
is
>required as a small PART of a course of treatment, with the ultimte goal to
>get them functioning without it, that is definately a responsible option.
>I could keep my son overmedicated very easily with all of his special needs
>and allergies, but I much prefer to treat him in other ways and keep the
>drugs out of his little body.
>
>Nanci K. in Idaho>>>>>
>
>>>>>>I get the impression a significant number of people just haven't given
it a
lot of thought. They've been raised to defer to "experts" including teachers
and doctors, they may be feeling tremendously pressured from other aspects
of their lives, and they tell themselves they're doing what's best. When
junior comes back with more positive comments from his teacher and maybe
better grades which are sometimes very subjective, their decision is
affirmed.>>>>>>

<<<What just blows me away, besides the whole creativity aspect, is that we
seem to have labeled normal behavior among young males in particular as a
disease and are treating them accordingly. I can't begin to imagine the
consequences of that.>>>

>
><<ONElist members: don't miss out on the latest news at ONElist
>Join our community member news update at >>
><<there are an awful lot of those parents out there. They really don't
want to hear about any alternatives, especially any that might require
them to spend time with their own child. It makes me very sad.
LJ>>>

>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Check it out!
>http://www.unschooling.com
>
>

Maura Seger

>My daughter was one who when she was in
>school, took her meds and also participated in the DARE program of which
she
>was a proud member of, and I don't for one second appreciate the
>insinuation that just because she has to take medication she shouldn't
>participate in the dare program, and is this supposed to mean that you
>assume she must be a drug addict?

Of course, I don't assume your daughter is a drug addict. What I meant was
that there seems to me to be a logical contradiction in the wholesale
medicating of children often on the basis of the most specious "diagnosis"
while also trying to convince them not to turn to (illegal) drugs as a
solution to life's problems. and BTW, Ritalin is only one of the drugs
being given and ADHD/ADD is only one of the reasons.

I'm glad Ritalin works for your daughter and I'm sure there are others for
whom it's equally helpful. But I remain convinced that it and other drugs
are being prescribed for many children far too often and without proper
diagnosis.

Maura





and I do not for a second put my child on
>meds so that I don't have to spend any time with her, infact just the
>opposite, without it she is not emotionally functional enough to be civil
to
>anyone and just flat out beligerant about everything, with it she goes back
>to the wonderful loving child I have always known her to be! there was a
>statement made about the parents of these kids being compared to people who
>let their children bounce around the car, most of the severe add children
I
>know wouldn't be able to be restrained without meds, some of these kids ( a
>great deal of the severe cases) can't keep these kids in anything, beds ,
>cribs, carseats ect...... and it comes as a great releif for the parents of
>these children to be able to have things like restraints finally work! you
>people who think you know so much about other peoples children and the life
>they must live have no clue how deep the love runs for these children and
>how far the parents would go to protect them and help them whatever it
took!
>so before you go accusing these parents of just being lazy or bad parents
>maybe you should take a good hard long look at what they go thru every day
>of their lives and be thankful for the fact that you don't have to
>experience what we do everyday , and that you don't have to spend every
>waking moment dealing with and protecting them from the kind of ignorance
>that is out there with regards to ADD ~!!!!!!!!
>Tanya Ohio (who wished they had diagnosed my ADD during my school years!)
>>
>
>
><<<<<<<<<A friend of mine who teaches tells me the most
>>>bizarre thing she sees happening is kids being rushed to get on line to
>get
>>>their "meds" so they can get back to class in time for their DARE
program.
>>>Huh???
>>>
>>>Maura>>>>>>>>>
>>
>>
>><<<<What parent could, in good conscious, medicate their child daily like
>that?
>> How can we know what the long term effects of such action will be? It
>>makes me sick, like folks who drive around with their kids bouncing all
>>over the car without seatbelts while they puff away on cigaretts with the
>>windows rolled up. Or the people whose kids run around in the street (I
>>mean 3-4-5 year olds) without an adult in sight. >>>
>>
>><<<Of course, if the condition has been carefully diagnosed and medication
>is
>>required as a small PART of a course of treatment, with the ultimte goal
to
>>get them functioning without it, that is definately a responsible option.
>>I could keep my son overmedicated very easily with all of his special
needs
>>and allergies, but I much prefer to treat him in other ways and keep the
>>drugs out of his little body.
>>
>>Nanci K. in Idaho>>>>>
>>
>>>>>>>I get the impression a significant number of people just haven't
given
>it a
>lot of thought. They've been raised to defer to "experts" including
teachers
>and doctors, they may be feeling tremendously pressured from other aspects
>of their lives, and they tell themselves they're doing what's best. When
>junior comes back with more positive comments from his teacher and maybe
>better grades which are sometimes very subjective, their decision is
>affirmed.>>>>>>
>
><<<What just blows me away, besides the whole creativity aspect, is that we
>seem to have labeled normal behavior among young males in particular as a
>disease and are treating them accordingly. I can't begin to imagine the
>consequences of that.>>>
>
>>
>><<ONElist members: don't miss out on the latest news at ONElist
>>Join our community member news update at >>
>><<there are an awful lot of those parents out there. They really don't
>want to hear about any alternatives, especially any that might require
>them to spend time with their own child. It makes me very sad.
>LJ>>>
>
>>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>Check it out!
>>http://www.unschooling.com
>>
>>
>
>
>--------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ----------------------------
>
>ATTN ONELIST USERS: stay current on the latest activities,
>programs, & features at ONElist by joining our member newsletter at
><a href=" http://www.onelist.com/subscribe/onelist_announce ">Click</a>
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Check it out!
>http://www.unschooling.com
>

[email protected]

Tanya,
I can see how the comments could be seen as bashing people who put their
children on medication. I truly believe that some children are severe enough
that the meds are beneficial. I feel the point that was being made is that a
lot of those people who do put their child on meds when it is not necessary.
With that course of action being so widely accepted, it's not bad to talk
about alternatives, but you are correct in saying that we should be more
sensitive in how we say it. I am sorry you were hurt. Please accept my
apology. Only you truly know your daughter and what she NEEDS.
Blessings, Lori in TX

mrstar

Okay, here is a really long really well researched and very provaocative
article on the issue at hand. Please, if you are truely interested in this,
read the entire article before you flame me (as if I was the writer, this
has happened when I posted this to other lists).You have to get past the
first paragraph and down into the 'why's and 'wherefore's (and I don't think
the flamers ever did) There is a list of resource matterials at the end so
this isn't just off the top of some guys head. Enjoy.

Mary in Idaho (unschooling 5 kids under age 7 who are all spirited in one
way or another and all aspire to be a teachers worst nighmare)

THE MISDIAGNOSIS OF ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER
By Samuel Joehl
Psychology 105
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ? it's the "virus of the 90's,"
afflicting some four-and-a-half million children in the U.S. alone
(Baughman 1997). With the numbers of afflicted children escalating at
epidemic proportions each year, just like the pre-Salc era there is
reason to believe that parents must fear for their children contracting
this disease. The U.S. National Institute of Mental Health predicts that
by the year 2000 ten million children will be consuming psychiatric
drugs for the treatment of this disorder (Nun 1998). Identified by the
main characteristics of inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity, it
ruins the lives of many, tearing families and schools apart. But
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is not a real disease.
There is no scientific evidence to identify its existence, nor are there
scientific means available for its identification, detection and
treatment. Rather ADHD is an invention designed solely for the financial
benefit of psychiatrists, drug manufacturers and schools who capitalize
on the misfortune of others. Worst of all, treatment of this fake
disorder usually involves the prescription of powerful, addictive
stimulants such as amphetamines to young children, adolescents and
adults. The adverse effects from these drugs can be unbearable,
debilitating and even potentially fatal. Using propaganda and coercion,
psychiatrists and psychologists have duped well-meaning parents,
teachers and politicians who are unaware of the truth of the ADHD scam.
Psychiatry is creating a dangerous situation that will affect the
totality of society.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a set of behaviors
which have been classified as a disease by the American Psychiatric
Association. The official standard for ADHD requires any combination of
eight out of fourteen symptoms, the first five being the most useful or
discriminating (Breggin 1994, Wiseman 1995). They include:
1. often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat. In adolescents
this may be limited to subjected feelings of restlessness.
2. Has difficulty remaining seated when required to do so.
3. Is easily distracted by extraneous stimuli.
4. Has difficulty awaiting turn in games or group situations.
5. Often blurts out answers to questions before they have been
completed.
6. Often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly.
7. Often has difficulty organizing tasks and activities.
8. Often loses things necessary to tasks or activities.
9. Is often forgetful in daily activities.
10. Is often on the go or often acts as if driven by a motor.
11. Often talks excessively.
12. Often has difficulty following instructions.
13. Often has difficulty playing quietly.
14. Often interrupts others.
While many may be amused by the above catalog of common childhood
behaviors, these have been defined by the American Psychiatric
Association in their Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders as legitimate symptoms of a physical disease. This disease is
diagnosed by observing the behavior of children and adolescents and
choosing any combination of eight of the above symptoms which are being
manifested. ADHD is commonly diagnosed by elementary school teachers who
use a behavior check list to identify a biologic defect in the brain
(Baughman 1996). It is also measured by giving a child a series of tests
that are completed on a piece of paper, or by testing the child's
ability to perform tasks and follow directions. Dr. Fred Baughman is a
35-year pediatric neurologist and a fellow of the American Academy of
Neurology. In response to these various methods of diagnosis of ADHD he
states: "For all their talk of chemical imbalance in the brain,
psychiatrists order no blood, urine or spinal fluid tests and do no
brain scans of the sort that their researchers claim validate disorders
or diseases."
Contrary to Baughman's opinion, many
psychiatrists and psychologists will assert that ADHD has biochemical or
neurologic etiologies. These doctors will claim that scientific studies
exist that give reason to believe that some abnormal defect may exist.
To these experts Dr. T. P. Nun, M.D., Th.D. responds "To this day there
is not one study done by anyone that proves that hyperactivity is caused
by brain damage or a chemical imbalance." Dr. Theodore J. La Vaque,
Ph.D. concurs by asserting that "to date, there is no substantive
medical evidence supporting the 'brain disorder' hypothesis." Even the
American Psychiatric Association admitted in its Diagnostic and
Statistical manual of Mental Disorders that there are "no laboratory
findings that have been established as diagnostic" for Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder. Dr. Baughman commented: "Confronted with
children whom psychologists, psychiatrists and teachers claimed had
ADHD, I have not been able to find any physical abnormality, no disease
whatsoever." According to Paul Leber, M.D. of the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration, "As of yet no distinctive pathophysiology for the
disorder has been delineated." "We are also unaware," notes Gene Haislip
of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, "that ADHD has been validated as a
biologic organic syndrome or disease." Dr. Lawrence Diller, M.D. was a
conferee at the 1996 DEA conference on stimulant use in the treatment of
ADHD. In a letter to Dr. Baughman, he wrote: "The reason why you have
been unable to obtain any articles or studies presenting clear and
confirming evidence of a physical or chemical abnormality associated
with ADHD is that there is none." And yet despite the overwhelming
evidence that ADHD has yet to be proven as having any physical etiology,
many biopsychiatrists still assert that it does. Their beliefs are
founded on the idea proposed in 1865 by Zurich psychiatrist Wilhelm
Griesinger who claimed that since the majority of nerve coverage was in
the brain, all mental problems must be brain diseases. Conduct,
therefore, though viewed for centuries to be an independent function
from the body was now declared to be symptoms of an illness. Unverified
even today by the scientific method, these suppositions form the
underpinning for most psychiatric practice and theory (Wiseman 1995).
Amil Kraepelin was one of the first psychologists to work on a system
for codifying human behavior while simultaneously acknowledging that
psychiatry had no effective treatments or cures for most psychiatric
disorders. In 1932, Frankwood E. Williams, director of the U.S. National
Committee for Mental Hygiene confessed: "The basic question with which
psychiatrists and particularly those interested in mental hygiene start
is what are the causes of mental and nervous disease. This question has
been repeatedly raised during the 22 years of organized mental hygiene
until it almost becomes a ritual, and like a ritual has led to nothing
but repetition, not even a start." Dr. Rex William Cowdry, director of
the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health in 1995 testified before a
Congressional committee: "We don't know the causes � we don't have the
methods of curing these illnesses yet." And yet despite "not knowing the
causes," psychiatrists continue to prescribe drugs for abnormal conduct
which they haven't even identified as having any physical connection.
The basis for their prescription is the much touted neurobiologic
disorder theory, which claims that abnormal behavior, emotions and
thoughts are due to chemical imbalances in the brain, usually improper
neurotransmitter levels. On this theory psychiatrist David Kaiser
comments: "Modern psychiatry has yet to convincingly prove the genetic
and biologic cause of any single mental illness. Patients have been
diagnosed with chemical imbalances despite the fact that no test exists
to support such a claim, and there is no real conception of what a
correct chemical balance would look like." New York psychiatrist Ron
Leifer states his view quite clearly: "There is no biological imbalance.
When people come to me and say they have a biochemical imbalance, I say,
'Show me your lab tests.' There are no lab tests, so what's the chemical
imbalance?" "What they have done is medicalize many problems which don't
have demonstrable biologic causes," explains one California
psychiatrist.
Despite the overwhelming lack of evidence to support the biochemical
theories, those diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
are usually given drugs to treat their behavior problems. The drugs
given are usually stimulants in the same classification of amphetamines
like speed and cocaine. The most common drugs prescribed for ADHD are
Ritalin, Dexedrine and the central nervous system stimulant Cylert. The
psychiatrists prescribing these drugs to their patients and the
manufacturers of these drugs insist that they are "safe," however
substantial evidence has suggested that the adverse reactions to these
drugs are probably far more common than the literature suggests. Except
when a drug is brand new, physicians usually don't report or publish
their negative side effects, and many are unaware that there is a
mechanism of informing the drug manufacturers and the FDA of these
effects (Breggin 1994). In addition, advocates of the psychiatric
drugging of children have proven themselves to be especially unwilling
to examine or underscore their effects. Ritalin is the most
commonly-prescribed drug for someone with ADHD. Ritalin is
pharmacologically classified with amphetamines. It has the same effects,
side effects and risks. Scientists report that Ritalin affects the brain
exactly like Cocaine does. The APA's 1989 Tome Treatment of Psychiatric
Disorders observes that cocaine, amphetamines and methyl phenidate
(Ritalin) are neuropharmacologically alike, citing evidence of similar
abuse patterns. The clinical effects between Ritalin and cocaine cannot
be differentiated in laboratory tests, and they can substitute for each
other and cause similar behaviors in addicted animals. The DSM III-R
lumps Ritalin, cocaine and amphetamine abuse into the same category. The
U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency classifies Ritalin into the same addiction
category, Schedule II, as other amphetamines, cocaine, morphine, opium
and barbiturates. A California study of adolescents diagnosed with ADHD
found that those who had been treated with Ritalin were three times more
likely to use cocaine as adults. Even Ciba-Geigy Pharmaceutical Company,
manufacturer of Ritalin admitted that their drug was a "drug of
dependency." In 1985 they published the following warning: Drug
Dependence: Ritalin should be given cautiously to emotionally unstable
patients such as those with a history of drug dependence or alcoholism
because such patients may increase dosage on their own initiative.
Chronically abusive use can lead to marked tolerance and psychic
dependence with varying degrees of abnormal behavior. Frank psychotic
episodes can occur especially with parental abuse. Careful supervision
is required during drug withdrawal since severe depression as well as
the effects of chronic overactivity can be unmasked. In the 1980s
Ritalin was a very popular street drug before being replaced by other
stimulants. Today Ritalin is used illegally in combination with other
drugs by drug addicts. In 1986 the International Journal of The
Addictions published over 105 adverse reactions from the drug. These
include nervousness and insomnia, hypertensivity (high blood pressure),
anorexia, nausea, dizziness, headaches, drowsiness, blood pressure and
pulse changes, tachycardia (rapid heartbeat), angina (sudden pain),
abdominal pain, loss of appetite, weight loss and toxic psychosis. Some
children can develop involuntary ticks and twitching from using the
drug, known as Touret's syndrome. The number of emergency room cases
related to methyl phenidate for children ages 10-14 in the United States
increased ten times since 1990 and surpassed the level of
cocaine-related emergencies for the same age group in 1950. More harmful
than the side effects, however, are the withdrawal effects from missing
even one dosage. Like any other stimulant, these effects include
crashing with depression, exhaustion, irritability and suicidal
feelings. Even the American Psychiatric Association admitted in 1987
that "suicide is the major complication of withdrawal from Ritalin and
similar drugs." (DSM III-R). Many parents are not informed that as a
stimulant, Ritalin causes the very behaviors it is supposed to cure,
such as inattention, hyperactivity and aggression. When this occurs the
child is often given a higher dosage or an even stronger agent such as a
neuroleptic, resulting in a vicious circle of increased drug toxicity.
Ritalin can also suppress growth, height and weight. These facts are
often explained to parents in a way so as not to frighten them. What
parents often are not told, however, is that it can also cause permanent
brain damage from long-term exposure. Cylert and Dexedrine both share
many of the common adverse effects of other stimulants. In addition,
Cylert can also cause liver toxicity. A 1997 "Dear Doctor" letter cited
ten reports over 21 years of acute liver failure in children taking the
drug.
ADHD --is not based on scientific proof or evidence, but rather opinion
of behavior. In countries where drugs are rarely given to children such
as Denmark, Norway and Sweden, ADHD is rarely diagnosed. Doctors working
for Britain's National Health Service are prohibited from prescribing
Ritalin in routine practice because it is not on the approved drug list
of the British National Formulary. In 1995 the International Narcotics
and Control Board reported an increase in worldwide production of methyl
phenidate from 3.0 tons in 1990 to 8.5 tons in 1994, with the United
States accounting for 90 percent of the consumption and a small
percentage of doctors accounting for the majority of prescriptions. In
addition to ADHD having a cultural bias, males are far more frequently
given a Disruptive Behavior Disorder i.e. ADHD classification. This is
because male children are trained by society to act resentfully or
rebelliously towards female authority. In fact, most adult men resent
being told what to do by women. Girls are conditioned by society to
listen attentively to whatever authority says, and what any male says.
There is no "compulsive obedience disorder" for girls because labeling a
child with a DBD is an instrument of control. Even researchers at the
NIMH confirm that short-term effects of Ritalin are limited to
"behavioral control." As girls receive increasingly confusing messages
from modern society about assertiveness, more and more young girls are
being diagnosed with DBDs. Often these girls share potential leadership
qualities (Breggin and Breggin, 1984). As it's name implies, Attention
Deficit Disorder is a disease who's symptoms go away when children are
given a minimal amount of attention or when children have something
interesting to do. This is agreed upon by all observers (Breggin 1984)
and even finds its way into the DSM III-R, which specifies that the
symptoms may not be apparent while a child is playing a video game, in a
novel setting or being examined by a doctor. And yet despite the
disappearance of symptomatology during examination, psychiatrists still
claim they have scientific validity for ADHD. ADHD did not come into
existence by scientific means, and it does not serve any medical purpose
for the patient. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder was literally
voted into existence in 1987 by a committee of the American Psychiatric
Association. Thus by a show of hands, a new disease had entered as a
medically-valid disorder into the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders. Understanding the purpose that inventing a disease
serves can be determined by examining the results that it created. In
1952 the first DSM was published by the APA, listing 112 maladies. The
1994 edition lists more than 370 different mental disorders. A new
category was created for the DSM II, published in 1968, entitled
"Behavior Disorders of Childhood and Adolescence." In 1975 the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was passed, providing
special education classes and state and federal funding for students
with "learning disabilities." There were only 782,000 children with
learning disabilities in 1977. In 1989 there were 1.9 million children
diagnosed with learning disorders, and in 1996 there were 2.6 million
with this affliction. And were these diagnoses scientific? According to
Kevin P. Dwyer, assistant director of the National Association of School
Psychologists in the U.S., the diagnosis of learning disorders is "not a
science." He added, "we're not sophisticated enough to do a perfect
diagnosis." After the invention of ADHD in 1987, there were 500,000
children already diagnosed with it a year later. In 1990 federal
legislation created welfare programs for low-income parents to receive
$450 per month for each child diagnosed with ADHD. Parents would
intentionally coach their children to behave in a manner to receive the
diagnosis. In 1991 federal education grants gave $400 a year to schools
for each child with an ADHD diagnosis. The U.S. Department of Education
recognized ADHD to be a handicap and directed all state education
officers to establish procedures to identify and screen children with
ADHD and to give them educational and psychological services. According
to Baughman, the frequency with which ADHD and LD are diagnosed in
schools is "proportional to the presence and influence within the
schools of mind-brain behavioral diagnosticians, testers and
therapists." Schools today in the U.S. spend more than one billion
dollars a year combined on psychologists and psychiatrists working
full-time to diagnose students. In 1996 15 billion dollars was spent on
the diagnosis, treatment and study of these learning disorders. In 1998
British Columbia Health Minister Ms. Penny Priddi, asked the college of
physicians and surgeons to find out why the number of children diagnosed
with ADHD had tripled since 1992. "I'm trying to picture what I would do
if the school said about this child that I adore, 'either you put him on
this drug or he can't come back.' It feels a bit like blackmail," she
said. Penny was referring to schools forcing children to take Ritalin at
the risk of expulsion. This problem was not limited to Canada. In 1991 a
U.S. District Court ruled that state and local educational officials
violated a student's rights by insisting he take Ritalin to attend
mainstream classes. In his book Prescription for Disaster, Thomas Moore
said that Ritalin is given "for short-term control of human behavior,
not to reduce any identifiable hazards to children's health. Such
long-scale chemical control of human behavior has not previously been
undertaken in our society outside of nursing homes and mental
institutions." Schools and psychiatrists are obviously placing these
children on the drugs for their own financial incentive. If the
stimulants truly were beneficial to the child, then school performance
would improve. This is not the case. At least five different scientific
studies indicate that no improvement in academic learning occurs from
these drugs, and stimulants can actually impair cognitive processes and
academic competence, making a child more docile and compliant (Wiseman
1995). Canadian psychologist Tana Dineen says in her book Manufacturing
Victims that "psychology is neither a science nor a profession, but an
industry that turns healthy people into victims to give itself a
constant source of income." Professors Herb Kutchins and Stuart A. Kirk
of Scientific American describe the DSM as "primarily about being a
guide to filling out insurance forms." Jeffry A. Schaler, adjunct
professor from Philadelphia also warns legislators and the general
public to "not be hoodwinked" by psychiatry's labels and diagnoses.
Despite the lack of proof that ADHD exists as a legitimate medical
disease with a characteristic pattern of recurring symptoms that can be
identified, measured and treated, numerous literature exists to support
its advocates and their claims. Much of this literature originates from
an organization called CHADD, Children and Adults with Attention Deficit
Disorder, a group of parents who have kids with ADD and ADHD. CHADD's
official policy views children with ADD as suffering from genetic and
biological problems. According to CHADD president Sandra F. Thomas, "Our
kids have a neurological impairment that is pervasive and affects every
area of their life, day and night." CHADD believes that emotional upset
and anger at children with ADHD is in no way caused by families, parents
or schools, but is entirely the fault of the child. This was illustrated
by a brochure which stated that "Frustrated, upset and anxious parents
do not cause children to have ADD, on the contrary, ADD children usually
cause their parents to be frustrated, upset and anxious." The reason for
CHADD's decision to blame the victim rather than the culprit in the
typical psychiatrist's fashion became clear when it was discovered that
CHADD has joined forces with biologically-oriented psychiatrists, many
of whom sit on the advisory board. The most devastating enditement to
CHADD, however, is the receipt of large contributions to enable
high-pressure lobbying, media campaigns and up-scale national
conventions from Ciba-Geigy, leading manufacturer for the leading ADD
drug, Ritalin.
If there is no biologic basis for ADHD, then something else must be
creating the symptoms. There must be an even darker force at work than
genetic make-up or chemicals or physical defects to explain the increase
in inattentive, impulsive and hyperactive behavior. That darker force is
a psychologically-based educational system, collectively known as
outcome-based education. Advocated in the United States by psychologist
Dr. William Coulson and implemented throughout the world, outcome-based
education consists of programs that have replaced standard academic
curricula. These include whole language (invented by psychologist James
Cattell) to replace phonics-based reading, new math, invented spelling
and values clarification classes. The purpose of these programs along
with the goals of world psychiatry were expressed by Dr. G. Brock
Chisholm, Co-founder for the World Federation of Mental Health in 1945:
"The re-interpretation and eventually irradication of the concept of
right and wrong which has been the basis of child training, the
substitution of intelligence and rational thinking for faith, are the
belated objectives of practically all psychotherapy. With the other
human sciences, psychiatry must now decide what is to be the immediate
future of the human race. No one else can." In outcome-based education,
the focus rests on trying to bring about certain outcomes from the child
by modifying his behavior and altering his beliefs. This is very similar
to the materialistic stimulus-response philosophies on which psychiatry
was founded. Author William Kilpatrick explains that "feelings, personal
growth and a total nonjudgmental attitude" are emphasized and "no time
is spent providing moral guidance or forming character. The virtues are
not explained or discussed, nor models of good behavior are provided. No
reason is given why a boy or girl should want to be good in the first
place. They come away with the impression that even the most basic
values are matters of dispute." As a result of OBE being firmly in place
by 1987 in the state of Arkansas by Governor Bill Clinton, homicide
rates by 14-17-year-olds increased by 435 percent, surpassing the number
for the same age group in the entire country by 1990. Between 1989 and
1995, arrests of minors in Arkansas increased by 180 percent. The
authors of the text for values clarification state: "It is entirely
possible that children will choose not to develop values. It is the
teacher's responsibility to support this choice also." As Chisholm
stated, values clarification has the objective of clarifying and
redefining the meanings of right and wrong so that there are no
objective moral values, only personal opinion. Another aspect of
outcome-based education is the whole language method developed by
psychologist James Cattell. Whole language replaces phonics-based
methods by forcing the child to learn words by memorizing the
arrangement of the letters rather than learning their correlation or
significance. The state of California replaced their phonics-based
programs with whole language in 1987. As a result, in 1992 California
fourth graders tied for last place on the National Assessment of
Education Program tests, and in 1994 California came in last place, with
86% scoring below proficient levels (Baughman 1996). Dr. Baughman has
noted a correlation between learning disabilities and illiteracy, noting
no physical abnormality and noting that competency improves with
phonics-based training. Many other parents who have put their child
through phonics-based programs because the child was unable to read
after having gone through school have also noted significant
improvements in school performance. President Bill Clinton has enacted
legislation granting federal funds to state and local schools for
implementation of outcome-based education programs in the entire
country. The "Goals 2000" program was designed to further advance the
influence of psychiatry in society, requiring all schools to implement
OBE programs in order to receive federal grants. The program also
establishes the creation of mini-psychiatric clinics in every public
school in the nation by the year 2000. Acting legislation at that time
will allow a psychiatrist to place any child in the school on
psychiatric drugs without parental consent. Author Beverly Eakman
describes the educational situation today as follows: "Most people today
suspect that education is not really about literacy basics or
proficiency in anything. What is less well-understood is that there
exists in this country and indeed throughout the industrialized world
what can best be described as an illiteracy cartel, ostensibly aimed at
furthering mental power. This cartel derives its power from those who
stand to benefit financially and politically from ignorance and
educational malpractice, from the frustration, the crime, the
joblessness and social chaos that miseducation produces." ADHD ? a
complete contrivance of the APA with no scientific validity. While
psychiatrists will argue that there is scientific evidence or that there
are scientific studies that support the existence or validity of ADHD,
the dictionary defines scientific as "systematic, accurate, exact."
These words have nothing to do with the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD,
or with psychiatry, for that matter. There is not one laboratory test or
clinical finding that has been established as diagnostic for
identification and treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder. This contrivance invented by the American Psychiatric
Association purely has the motives of capitalizing off of the sale of
powerful, addictive and potentially dangerous psychotropic drugs. And as
further demonstrated, the psychiatrist is also involved in the creation
of many of the symptoms of ADHD by pushing his drugs into society and
implementing his behavior-altering, nonacademic education programs.
According to psychiatrist Thomas Szasz, "Thrusting fake intimacy and
pretended care on them (children) as professional child-enslavers do is
our distinctively modern method of harming children in the name of
helping them. The child psychiatrist's authority is altogether beyond
the reach of his denominated patients. This elementary fact makes the
child psychiatrist one of the most dangerous enemies, not only of
children but also of adults who care for the two most precious and
vulnerable things in life, children and liberty. Child psychology and
child psychiatry cannot be reformed; they must be abolished." And who
are these "experts" who pontificate on TV about behavior, the mind and
the various social problems of the day, advising millions? Psychiatrists
are criminally charged disproportionately more than any other section of
the health care industry. At least ten percent of psychiatrists,
psychologists and psychotherapists admit to sexually abusing their
patients, according to one of their own studies. Psychiatrists top the
list of medical doctors least likely to sustain a successful marriage,
and the suicide rate for psychiatrists is twice that of other
physicians. Psychology Today reported that psychologists and other
mental health professionals are more insane than the rest of the
population. Dr. Michael Chavin, M.D. does offer us some words of
encouragement, however: "I thought I had seen psychiatry at its worst
with its fixation on barbaric practices such as electroshock treatment.
I was wrong. Nothing compares to the viciously covert mental and
physical abuse that is dealt innocent children through psychiatric
drugging and psychology-based curricula today. Parents have the right,
the responsibility and all the power they need to reverse this hideous
situation, and they must, for who else can our children turn to?" It
becomes clear, then, that it is up to the parents and those who care
about children to insure that they receive sound educational and medical
attention. It becomes clear that a child manifesting behavioral problems
should receive quality treatment that does not involve treating an
abnormality in the brain that has never been discovered or can never be
tested for. The 1986 book Ill, Not Insane lists 140 medical problems
that can cause mental and emotional trouble including suboptimum
nutrition, exposure to antinutrients, overuse of sugar, stimulants and
depressants and food allergies or intolerances. It becomes clear that
other factors must be examined to determine the true cause of the
behavior. The educational curriculum must be examined to insure it is
academically-centered. Finding the real cause of a child's inattention,
impulsivity and hyperactivity and addressing that cause will lead to a
child that pays attention, behaves and does well in school because he
wants to, not because a drug forces him to do so. End Notes for "The
Misdiagnosis of ADHD"
Baughman, Fred. "The Future of Mental Health, Radical Changes Ahead."
USA Today. March 1997.
Nun, T. P., M.D., ThD. "Abandoning Our Children": Internet URL: .
Epperson, Ralph. The Unseen Hand. (Touscon, AZ): Publius Press,
1985. P. 383
La Vaque, Theodore J., Ph.D. "Kids, Drugs and ADD": Internet URL:
http://www.dct.com/~tlavaque/ritalin.html, � 1996. (Accessed: 19 May
1999).
Wiseman, Bruce. Psychiatry-The Ultimate Betrayal. (Freedom Publishing,
LA), 1995.
Breggin, Peter R., M.D. and Breggin, Ginger Ross. The War Against
Children. (St. Lawrence Press), 1994.
Baughman, Fred Jr., M.D. "where have ADD and Ritalin Come From?" 27
March 1996.
Williams, Greg. "Why are America's Morals Declining?" The Oregon
Observer. June 95.
American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders. (3rd edition). (press syndicate of the University of
Cambridge, Great Britain), 1980. Pp. 41, 44 and 385 American Psychiatric
Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. (3rd
edition-revised) (APA, Washington DC, 1987)).
P. 50.
DSM-IV, op.cit
Breggin, Peter. Talking Back to Ritalin. (Monroe (ME: Common Courage
Press)) 1998. P. 103
Baughman, Fred. "Treatment of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder."
Journal of the American Medical Association. Vol. 269, no. 18, 12 May
1993
Kaiser, David, M.D.: Commentary: "Against Biologic Psychiatry".
Psychiatric Times. December 1996. Internet URL: Rees, Anne. "Priddy to
Probe Ritalin Question." The Providence. 4/7/98.
Hohler, Bob. "Judge Says New Hampshire School Can't Order Ritalin Use."
The Boston Globe. 8 August 1991.
Dayton, Leigh. "Child's Drug May Be Linked to Cocaine Use." The Sidney
Morning Herald. 18 April 1998.
"INCB Sees Continuing Risk in Stimulants Prescribed for Children."
United Nations Information Service:
Szasz, Thomas, M.D. Cruel Compassion. (Jon Wiley and Sons, Inc.) New
York. 1994.
Eakman, B. K. Cloning of the American Mind, Irradicating Morality
through Education. (Huntington House Publishers, LA), 1998. The
Physician's Desk Reference. 1998. P. 1897. Abstract from "Controlled
Stimulant Treatment of ADHD and Comorbid Tourett's Syndrome, Effects of
Stimulant and Dose." Journal of the American Academy of Child and
Adolescent Psychiatry. Vol 36, no. 5, May
1997.
Abstract from "Tics and Dyskinesias Associated with Stimulant Treatment
in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder." Archives of Pediatrics and
Adolescent Medicine. Vol. 148, No. 8. August 1994. Moore, Thomas J.
"Prescription Drugs, Danger Within the Cure." LA Times. 5 April 1998.
Kilpatrick, William. "Why Johnny Can't Tell Right From Wrong." Holland,
Robert. "Education in Arkansas, a Dubious Clintonite Model for the
Nation." The Richmond Times Dispatch. 6 June 1996. Internet URL:
Sunseri, Ron. Outcome-Based Education, Understanding the Truth about
Education Reform. Multnomah Books, Sisters, OR. 1994. P. 234 Dineen,
Tana. Manufacturing Victims. (Robert Davis Publishing, Montreal).
1996.
Rapp, Doris. Is This Your Child? (Quill Publishing, 1991). The World
Book Dictionary �. Vol. 2 L-Z, 1970. P. 1863. Chisholm, G. Brock. "The
Re-Establishment of Peacetime Society: The Responsibility of
Psychiatry." Psychiatry: Journal of Biology and Pathology of
Interpersonal Relations. Vol. 9, no. 1. February 1946. Pp. 7-8.
Psychiatry: Betraying and Drugging Children for Profit. (Citizens
Commission on Human Rights International, 1998). CCHR Public Hearing
into the Psychiatric Labeling and Drugging of Children. (Philadelphia,
Pa). 10 September 1997.

Sandi Chelan

I found the following article in the HEM Homeschooling Library:

Why Children Are Not for Screening, Larry and Susan Kaseman (N/D 93)
http://www.home-ed-magazine.com/INF/SPCL/spcl_screen.html
Sandi

-----Original Message-----
From: Michele Moss <michele@...>
To: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Date: Friday, August 06, 1999 2:15 AM
Subject: Re: [Unschooling-dotcom] Re: Fw: ADD/Custody Issue


From: "Michele Moss" <michele@...>


> From: "B & T Simpson" <michigan@...>
>
> I think all of you who are bashing parents of ADD children should
> think long and hard about what it is like for these children and
> their families before placing this kind of judgement on them,
> obviously you do not have ADD children, "busy " children and ADD
> children are two completely different species!

Hello, i'm pretty new here but want to comment on your above
statement "busy" children and "ADD" children are two completely
different species. i think that was exactly the point that some
people were trying to make in pointing out how quickly the school
systems and other professionals are eager to slap an ADD diagnosis on
a "busy" kid! I agree that this happens far too often for the
convenience of the schools. i have a busy kid and i've already had a
taste of this recently. We were at the park and a gal who had been
off in the distance watching my 3 yo son play with her 5 yo son came
over and struck up a conversation with me. they were having fun and
getting along but she had been closely watching his behavior - or
should i say "energy level". turns out she works at the "Head Start"
school and was suggesting that i should look into getting Sterling
enrolled. we were on the subject of how advanced he is and she
proceeded to tell me about how they have "free testing" 3 times a year so
you can find out where your child is at even if you don't plan on
enrolling them into the school. i took it as being more of
a skills and academic test combined with developmental skills so that
they know how to place them with other kids of the same level. well,
just for kicks, i decided to look into it further for the testing
even though i had no plans to enroll him. funny... they test in
November? h-m-m-m. so what is covered in this testing i ask! and i
quote "Oh, we are looking for any deficits or learning disorders the
child might have!" URGH!!!! so this "teacher" who is not qualified
to make this sort of diagnosis had concluded in 15 minutes of
watching Sterling on the playground that he needed to be tested for a
learning disorder?? she obviously concluded ADD just because of his
spontanity and energy level! NO THANK YOU!

i hope this helps with the other side of the picture and why some of
us go bonkers over the idea of "busy kids" being diagnosed as ADD and
being drugged into submission for the convenience of the schools.
and yes i do agree that some kids truly are ADD and can benefit
greatly from the proper treatment whether it be Ritalin or some other
alternative method that works and that is appropriate for the degree of
the ADD.

i'd love to respond to more of your message but it is LATE and i need
some sleep.



Michele Moss
Mom of Sterling Tyler age 3 yrs old
Parents of Spirited Kids Resource Web site:
http://www.icstech.net/~michele
Parents of Spirited Kids Discussion Group:
http://www.egroups.com/list/psk

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[email protected]

Tanya
I seem to have missed a great deal of this debate, I think I am glad that I
did. Having read your post just now, it just emphasizes the need for people
to know what they are talking about before they sound off on ANY subject.
Superiority is a killer to any caring and loving group, no matter what the
subject. I am so sorry that your child has to go through this, that any
child does for that matter. In all fairness to others, I think that the
reason so many people get so upset about these meds, is because so many
Doctors and school systems have mis handled these terms and meds, to make it
a convenience. We all know someone who has a perfectly normal child that
their parents really don't want to bother with, and they push for the meds.
This is most likely what everyone has been talking about, but, again, we
should never make blanket statements about anyone or any group. Everybody
laughs and groans and jokes about preteens, how they have smart attitudes,
mouhts and mood swings. But we know it is because hormones are going wild in
their body, heck, their body is going weird on them, and they don't
understand what is happening, why they smart off and can't stop. We know
that will change as they grow, we won't have to deal with that for a long
time, but you parents, I don't know if I could have the patience to deal with
what you have to go through all the time. I wish you so much luck and love
and happiness.
Teresa

Michele Moss

WOW! This article you posted is pretty incredible. Certainly
something to make people stop and think.

I find the section i quoted below of all the traits especially
amazing. I know Sterling is not ADD/ADHD but I also am not naive to
the fact that his behavior mimics ADD on the surface and would be a
perfect candidate for misdiagnosis. I've never seen "the list" that
is used before. it is incredible that a child only has to fit into
eight out of the fourteen! if this is the case, then what on earth
is a child that fits all 14 and not "often" but "constant"? a
lunatic? Sterling IS all fourteen but for each one, i can site the
source and cause of the behavior and in most cases can provide a few
methods of approach to apply to either minimize the intensity of that
behavior or avoid it entirely - a proactive approach to getting the
preferred results and responses. Some i wouldn't want to elimate or
tone down. 11. talks excessively. He never stops talking. Begin
talking very early. Has an amazing vocabulary for his age. Uses
words that most don't comprehend their usage until around age 5-6
(actually, probably, perfect, etc). The way i see it, all this
non-stop talking is just an art of practicing a wonderful skill. He
even talks in his sleep lots of times! Sterling is "spirited" (and
possibly gifted - i'm not sure)

If i had to rate which ones were the strongest and weakest, i
honestly couldn't do it. ALL of them are equally intense and
constant except maybe 8. and 9. i had to smile at number 10. I've
actually had people ask me where his "off switch" is. I boldly
respond "he doesn't have one" and make sure i beam with proudness
when i say it.

thanks for posting the article! just added more confidence to my
choice to unschool.

> Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a set of
> behaviors which have been classified as a disease by the American
> Psychiatric Association. The official standard for ADHD requires any
> combination of eight out of fourteen symptoms, the first five being
> the most useful or discriminating (Breggin 1994, Wiseman 1995). They
> include:

1. often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat. In
adolescents this may be limited to subjected feelings of
restlessness.
2. Has difficulty remaining seated when required to do so.
3. Is easily distracted by extraneous stimuli.
4. Has difficulty awaiting turn in games or group situations.
5. Often blurts out answers to questions before they have been
completed.
6. Often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly.
7. Often has difficulty organizing tasks and activities.
8. Often loses things necessary to tasks or activities.
9. Is often forgetful in daily activities.
10. Is often on the go or often acts as if driven by a motor.
11. Often talks excessively.
12. Often has difficulty following instructions.
13. Often has difficulty playing quietly.
14. Often interrupts others.
Michele Moss
Infinity Computer Solutions
Great Falls, MT
406-727-5609
http://www.icstech.net

Michele Moss

> From: Cunian@...
>
> others shake their heads and tell us we'd make a fortune if only we
> could distill it and bottle it.

now i haven't heard that one yet but i bet if it is possible, a
creative unschooled child out there will figure it out one day and
make millions! (maybe even yours!) <G>

Michele Moss
Infinity Computer Solutions
Great Falls, MT
406-727-5609
http://www.icstech.net

[email protected]

In a message dated 8/8/99 00:02:28. Eastern Daylight Time,
michele@... writes:

<< if this is the case, then what on earth
is a child that fits all 14 and not "often" but "constant"? a
lunatic? >>

Well, if it makes you feel better, you have company. And she's going on 7,
and hasn't slowed down yet. Some people diagnose her, others shake their
heads and tell us we'd make a fortune if only we could distill it and bottle
it. We planned to homeschool before she was 6mos old, but I'm glad we did.
Between the 2 of them we'd spend our whole lives getting hauled in to have
conferences about our offspring. Is there a corollary to the old curse, "May
you live in interesting times", about having interesting children?

Karen, (with Helen, 6, Agent of Chaos, and Gordon, 3, Agent of Destruction)

Maura Seger

<<From: "Michele Moss" <michele@...>

WOW! This article you posted is pretty incredible. Certainly
something to make people stop and think.

I find the section i quoted below of all the traits especially
amazing. I know Sterling is not ADD/ADHD but I also am not naive to
the fact that his behavior mimics ADD on the surface and would be a
perfect candidate for misdiagnosis. I've never seen "the list" that
is used before. it is incredible that a child only has to fit into
eight out of the fourteen!>>

It's worse than you know. Take a look at
http://www.chadd.org/facts/add_facts01.htm#Definition and you'll see there
are actually four types of ADD defined, each with its own list.

Are you "easily distracted"? Do you make "careless mistakes"? Appear not to
listen? Lose something you need to complete a task? You're well on your
way to an ADD/inattentive diagnosis.

Or perhaps you fidget, like to run about, have difficulty sitting quietly,
or interrupt? Two more and you get ADD/impulsive.

Maybe you even make the grade on both lists. In which case, you're
ADD/combined.

Not to worry though if you don't get the right score. You can still be
ADD/not otherwise specified, not enough checkpoints on either list but still
experiencing symptoms that "disrupt everyday life." Whose "everyday life"?
The life of a child in a rigid and repressive school environment where the
most natural impulses of youth are consistently stifled?

Disclaimer: This is not intended as a slur on any parent who has struggled
to help a child whose life is truly disrupted by pervasive symptoms of ADD
and who has found vital help through medication and other methods. I
understand such children and adults really do exist, and I am glad there is
help for them. I just think the ADD diagnosis is being applied to far too
many people, especially children, to suit the convenience of a culture that
is markedly anti-child.

Maura

[email protected]

In a message dated 08/08/1999 12:02:28 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
michele@... writes:

<< The official standard for ADHD requires any
> combination of eight out of fourteen symptoms, the first five being
> the most useful or discriminating (Breggin 1994, Wiseman 1995). They
> include: >>
These characteristics describe me!!!
Debra

[email protected]

In a message dated 8/7/99 11:02:20 PM EST, michele@... writes:

<< 1. often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat. In
adolescents this may be limited to subjected feelings of
restlessness.
2. Has difficulty remaining seated when required to do so.
3. Is easily distracted by extraneous stimuli.
4. Has difficulty awaiting turn in games or group situations.
5. Often blurts out answers to questions before they have been
completed.
6. Often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly.
7. Often has difficulty organizing tasks and activities.
8. Often loses things necessary to tasks or activities.
9. Is often forgetful in daily activities.
10. Is often on the go or often acts as if driven by a motor.
11. Often talks excessively.
12. Often has difficulty following instructions.
13. Often has difficulty playing quietly.
14 Often interrupts others.
Michele Moss
Infinity Computer Solutions
Great Falls, MT
406-727-5609
http://www.icstech.net >>
Michele,
thanks for reposting this list of awfuls! by accident I had deleted the
original. I feel so sorry for the parents who have perfectly fine children
and then have their school or dr. tell them this.
LOL, most of these "oftens" characterize most normal little boys, don't you
think? I bet, if you took every little boy you know, and put him to this
test, between the ages of 2 and 8yrs, they would fit the criteria somewhere,
at some time. What a bunch of bull. They should better title this list the
list of a teachers worst nightmares! ROFL

Keep on being proud of that "no off button", and channel that energy into
lots of fun and learning, and get that great feeling when YOU have taught
your child a concept, and you see that child get the concept and light up
with it!
Teresa

[email protected]

In a message dated 8/8/99 9:15:04 AM Pacific Daylight Time, Buresmom@...
writes:

<< These characteristics describe me!!! >>

They can describe anyone, at any given moment in their life, amazing huh?

Charlotte

Michele Moss

> From: Hsmotgo@...
>
> Michele,
> thanks for reposting this list of awfuls! by accident I had deleted
> the original. I feel so sorry for the parents who have perfectly
> fine children and then have their school or dr. tell them this.
> LOL, most of these "oftens" characterize most normal little boys,
> don't you think?

yes i do think the "oftens" describe most "normal" little boys and
some little girls too! and given the entire list, i think it spells
"extraordinary" little boys and girls. <G>
>
> Keep on being proud of that "no off button", and channel that energy
> into lots of fun and learning, and get that great feeling when YOU
> have taught your child a concept, and you see that child get the
> concept and light up with it! Teresa
>
thanks for the encouragement Teresa!


Michele Moss
Mom of Sterling Tyler age 3 yrs old
Parents of Spirited Kids Resource Web site:
http://www.icstech.net/~michele
Parents of Spirited Kids Discussion Group:
http://www.egroups.com/list/psk

[email protected]

In a message dated 8/8/99 7:02:49 PM EST, michele@... writes:

<< thanks for the encouragement Teresa! >>
You are entirely welcome! LOL