The Diseasing of America's Children Explores the ADHD "Myth"
Are ADHD, EOBD and Other Increasingly Common Childhood Afflictions Legitimate? This Book Explores that Topic
In the last year, my eight-year-old daughter was tested for ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Turns out, she doesn't officially "have it," but the topic is fascinating to me in many regards. What causes such a "diagnosis?" How is the diagnosis made? How is it that so many kids apparently have ADHD, ODD, EOBD (early onset bipolar disorder), autism, etc., when there were almost no kids having these disorders 50 years ago?
In typical rabble-rousing fashion, John Rosemond (the book seems to be 95% written by him) takes on these questions. Rosemond is famously common-sense and "old school," and he basically believes ADHD is a concoction of the medical establishment and pharmaceutical companies in order to make money.
Rosemond brings up several things that troubled me about ADHD diagnosis. For one thing, there is no definitive test to tell whether or not one "has" ADHD or not. Rather, the diagnosis is largely made from questionnaires asking whether behaviors are noticed "often," etc. What is "often?" Mightn't this differ from one person's perspective to another? This was one aspect of ADHD which really bothered me regarding my daughter. There are tests to definitively tell whether a child has leukemia, diabetes, or other conditions. ADHD is much more of a "squishy" diagnosis.
Rosemond also questions the oft-repeated assertion from psychologists and doctors that ADHD is a problem with "brain chemistry" which medication can fix. He contends that "brain chemistry," whatever that actually means, can't be measured. But, it sure sounds encouraging to a parent who is searching for a quick answer for their child.
Rosemond also takes on the assertion that ADHD stimulant medications "slow a child with ADHD down, but they speed up a 'regular' person." Rosemond says that, in the dosages given for ADHD, these stimulants would help anyone focus - not just those with ADHD. He contends that these medications only "speed up" people who are taking high, illegal-level doses. Interesting ...
I was reminded while reading this book of a recent George Will column I read. Will references a novel by Peter De Vries, in which De Vries decries America's tendency to "medicalize character flaws." This really struck a chord with me: perhaps our relative affluence has led to many medical diagnoses which would have been dealt with and lived with in the past.
While I basically appreciate Rosemond's politically-incorrect take on ADHD, I can't buy his assertions 100%. Because while there are many kids who no doubt are on stimulant medication when they could probably function just as well if their parents were devotedly utilizing behavior modification and other techniques with them, I know there are other kids who do have some type of attention issue. Whether it's officially ADHD or something else I don't know - but I feel that it does a disservice to these kids to lump all identified kids together and proclaim their diagnosis as incorrect.
This book is a much-needed dissenting voice for today's parents, who are more and more likely to have their children diagnosed with ADHD. However, I recommend reading it with a discerning eye, and taking from it the parts that are helpful for you and your family.
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Published by Susan Braun - Featured Contributor in Arts & Entertainment
Susan Braun is a freelance writer with special interests in education, the arts and music. She freelances for several sites, and is one of Associated Content s Top 1000 Sources for each year from 2008 to 201... View profile
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9 Comments
Post a CommentThanks for exposing this book. The author obviously is not the parent of an ADD or ADHD child as you and I are. My daughter was diagnosed at an early age with ADD thanks to caring teachers and a good child psychologist. Medication and special classes turned her life around for the positive, she graduated from a private college prep high school and is now getting ready to graduate from college. While there is no "blood test" for this disorder, it IS a real learning disability. I wish you and your daughter the best, and keep working on finding a good treatment for her learning difficulties. It will pay off in spades in the end, I know this from experience. Hang in there! (By the way, my daughter no longer needed her medication by the time she reached 7th grade. She had successfully learned around her dificulties.)
Keep up with the great work! I am sensing other articles you could do! I hope the best for you and your daughter! I am forwarding this to many people I know, too. :)
As a parent of a child diagnosed with ADHD and also Apsergers, I firmly believe they are indeed real. I know what it is like going through the endless surveys (parents, teachers and daycare workers, too) and the doctor discussions asking 'how often is often' and 'how severe is severe', starting back in kindergarten. I asked many times why there isn't a concrete test and why there is so much guesswork involved. Now, my 9 year old is finishing 3rd grade, an entire year on his low dose meds, and it has been his best year yet. Is it the age (growing out of it as many say) or is it the meds that allow his mind to slow down and learn. I don't know... but he is happy so we are happy. We tried for over a year to find if it was too much sugar or food allergies, etc, as Sheryl mentioned. It was not, nor was it the poor discipline. Nothing is a quick fix for this. Education (on the different types of: symptoms, disorders, medications, etc) is the key. Excellent article Susan! Keep up the great w
I know I am in the minority but I believe ADHD it is an over-diagnosed problem.Good article.
Yeah - very interesting. I worked for a natural health products company, and they had a doctor consultant. He wrote about ADD/ADHD. Some kids are diagnosed with it just because they have severe allergies to common food allergens (peanuts, wheat, sugar, lactose) that kids eat the most of, which mimic the symptoms of ADD/ADHD. And others? Some are just the result of poor parental discipline. It's a shame they get put on medication and the root cause is not solved.
Wow, interesting!
Such a tough subject. I find myself going back and forth on whether or not I support medication. I hate to put more toxins into a child's body, but if it helps them learn...
I once read that about 8% of children have ADD/ADHD, but at some schools 80% of children are on medication for it. So- Is it real? Yes. Is it really that common? No. I personally believe that the whole ADD/ADHD thing is way too broad, and I hope the experts can sub-categorize it.
Such a balanced discussion! It's hard for a parent to know isn't it? Personally, I don't want my ADD meds taken away. And I almost wish one of my sons took them too. But I don't know what to call what we have!