http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/adhd.htm for the year 2012:
- Number of children 3-17 years of age ever diagnosed with ADHD: 5.9 million
- Percent of children 3-17 years of age ever diagnosed with ADHD: 9.5%
- Percent of boys 3-17 years of age ever diagnosed with ADHD: 13.5%
- Percent of girls 3-17 years of age ever diagnosed with ADHD: 5.4
My twenty-eight-year-old daughter and I just got into a big, almost fight over this. I told her that these numbers and the numbers for autism were ridiculous. Should you wish to see CDC's videos on spectrum autism - here is the web site: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/video/actearlycurriculum/index.html .
My daughter firmly believes that there has been a dramatic increase in autism and I believe there has been a dramatic increase in testing, introduction of formal curriculum at too young an age - especially for boys and not enough time spent playing. The realization that boys and girls develop differently for multiple reasons (hormones, brain structural differences, etc.) and have different developmental needs should drive how classroom programs are developed, not some ill-supported need to "validate" that instruction is taking place. Gender aside, each child is going to be unique and that doesn't mean that he or she "qualifies" as having autism - you don't have to account for every "tick" that makes up the kid that belongs to you.
Yes, sometimes waiting to see if there is an actual problem that needs formal intervention can mean lost time in addressing a life-altering problem. However, many of the behaviors earning the autism label just look like possible developmental delays. These are the equivalent of learning to play tennis. For some people, it's a breeze, others struggle with one aspect or another of the game, but over time become good players and some just can't do it. They lack the hand-eye coordination or some other basic skill set needed to play. Perhaps, they just hate the game, but that's not autism, that's having freedom of choice. But, certain skill sets and social interaction abilities are basic skills of daily life.
When your child avoids being touched, screams when you try to hold him or her and repeats motions endlessly - it's obvious that autism is the diagnosis.
Most young children will, with some positive reinforcement and a structured classroom setting with plenty of opportunities to succeed and try different things, find their talent. Getting a bad grade or doing poorly on a test is not a failure for either you or your child. He or she just hates tennis (metaphor for school). School is just not everyone's cup of tea.
I do not mean to suggest that you, as a parent, can afford to be lax. You must keep tabs on possible developmental problems verses your clever child gaming the system. I always thought of boys as puppies - having to roll around and nip and growl as part of sorting things out and dealing with their level of energy.
Labels are dangerous things. My daughter believes that poor eating habits and exposure to toxins is the root cause for the alarming increase in the numbers of children diagnosed with ADHD and autism. I believe it is simply that we have sucked all the fun out of learning, all the outdoor free play time and time for exploration out of school curriculum. Also, the pressure to succeed has taken time at home and turned it into a race to travel teams, extra lessons and add the "one-on-one" or "independent" learning encouraged by misuse of technology has left me underwhelmed.
I have support for my belief that lack of movement is the major cause for this insane increase in labeling children from TimberNook blog at www.timbernook.com by Angela Hanscom. Hanscom is a pediatric occupational therapist. After observing a fifth-grade class toward the end of the day. The students were simply unable to sit still. One child was hitting her head with a water bottle "in a rhythmic pattern."
After testing these students further, Hanscom found: "that only one out of 12 children had normal strength and balance." Having soccer practice once or twice a week will not give them "enough movement to develop a strong sensory system."
The full text of the blog post can be found at The Washington Post and it's an eye opener: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/07/08/why-so-many-kids-cant-sit-still-in-school-today/
I will be sharing this article with my daughter, the athlete, who played three sports continuously throughout most of her childhood into high school and was in an after-care center that firmly believed in supervised free play. She is now a triathlon participant and very fit. She won scholarships based on her grades and her athletic ability. I never pushed - just made sure the opportunities to choose were there.
As parents or guardians it's hard to play the waiting game - but you have more power than teachers to change the system and demand less testing, less drill and more physical activity. A good teacher is a good teacher with or without technology because he or she wants to be sure that children thrive no matter what the circumstances, reforms, debates and distractions.
You and the teacher should always be a team working to do what's best for your child and hopefully what's best for your child will improve the educational environment for other children. Teachers - getting parents on your side is always a win. Here's hoping that a more humane educational environment is on the way.
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