For Becky
 

I saw this program on tv about ADHD children, and the medical treatment they receive. I was just wondering, have you in your work ever come across with children with ADHD, and were these children on medication? If you have encountered these children, what do you think about treating them with medication, or other methods of treating them?

Re: For Becky
 

I know this was for Becky, but I also work with kids who have ADHD. Sometimes medication is needed, IMO. But in too many cases parents use this as a method of discipline when they can't get control of their children.

Kids on Ritalin don't grow like the other kids. They tend to remain short and skinny. It is a tough call for parents. I don't envy them. But I do notice that a few too many kids who are on it, don't have the greatest home lives. Again, there are exceptions.

**Sorry for jumping in**

No - it's fine, it wasn't meant just for Becky, I just thought she would know about these things.

Thanks for your reply. They said on the program that it's much more common in the States and Canada to treat these people with medicine than it is in Finland, a WHOLE lot. In fact, in Finland we maybe treat them too little with medicine.

Also, they mentioned that sometimes a child is incorrectly diagnosed as ADHD when in fact s/he is just reacting to difficult conditions at home - so all things should be reviewed before making a diagnosis and especially starting the medication - it's pretty strong stuff they give for the kids...

ALL the time! I'm constantly having to run ADHD programs for teachers and parents who think their kids have ADHD. It seems to me though that ADHD is overdiagnosed and a lot of kids are medicated because they just can't behave. Better parenting and better control of classrooms is in order for some of these kids. When you see a trend that Mrs. Smith thinks EVERY kid in her class has ADHD, you start to wonder if the problem is her class management skills. In the school system, the rating is subjective. I'm not sure what doctors do to diagnose it. I don't know if they have to do physical tests or if they just take a parent's word for it and give them the medication.

ADHD is mistaken for other problems--like traumatic brain injury and other behaviorial syndromes. It's sort of become a catch-all diagnosis in the States. It's almost like if you're kid is bothering you or his classroom, give him medication and zombie-ize him! To me, it's alarming how many kids are taking medications for ADHD.

Becky

I sorta thought that too - to me it seems like an easy way to categorize children who don't behave nice and quiet...