The myth of ADD

http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=54544

The myth of ADD



By Sadaf Shahid
I couldn't help but admire the 10-year-old boy. He was excited but
eloquent. He rattled off facts and figures like an encyclopaedia. He could
recall every record made in the last two cricket world cups. Exceptionally
articulate for a 10 year old, his eyes gleamed with excitement and passion
as he extolled the feats of his heroes. With intelligence and maturity that
belied his years, he argued with conviction why one player was better than
another and how certain conditions favoured one or the other player. His
face flushed, he shifted from one position to another, rocking the chair,
constantly tapping the pencil in his hand and generally giving the
impression that his words could not keep pace with the speed of his
thoughts. His rate of speech increased and intonation varied with his
excitement level. Clearly, here was a boy of above-average intelligence with
a mind that could sift facts, place them in a certain order and rattle them
off eloquently. Surely, he must be an excellent student with grades to match
and a source of unmitigated joy for his parents! Such, unfortunately, was
not the case.

The child was having huge problems settling down in the classroom, his
test scores were below-average and his parents were regularly summoned by
the school administration complaining that the boy was either inattentive or
rude. His attitude and performance was marked by wide fluctuations. Very
well behaved and enthusiastic in a music class, he was unable to complete a
math or any other worksheet. The history teacher considered him amongst the
best pupil. While the math teacher found him inattentive at best, unruly and
disruptive at worst.

His mother, who had brought him to me and was witnessing the speed
with which the boy was talking to me and how he tapped his pencil
incessantly, rocking his body to and fro, apologised again and again, while
unsuccessfully trying to rein the boy in.

The symptoms were classic. The boy was neither inattentive nor rude.
He suffered from ADD/ADHD (Attention Deficit /Hyperactivity Disorder)

"Over the past thirty years, attention deficit disorder (ADD) or
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has emerged from the
relative obscurity of cognitive psychologists' research laboratories to
become the "disease du jour" of schoolchildren the world over", says Dr
Thomas Armstrong, an educator, psychologist and consultant. "The Myth of the
A.D.D. Child" is the first book of its kind to challenge the misdiagnosing
of millions of children with attention-deficit disorder and to question the
overuse of psychoactive drugs in treating hyperactivity.

The Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of the American Psychiatric
Association (DSM 1V) describes ADD/ADHD as one of the most common
neurobehavioral disorders of childhood and can persist through adolescence
and into adulthood. Currently the causes are unknown. It is characterised by
pervasive inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity resulting in
significant functional impairment.

The definition of disorders or a disability may differ from one
generation to the next. It is context dependent. It is society that
determines behaviors as normal or abnormal, its people -- able or disable
and ordered or disordered. Not too long ago, poor vision was considered a
defect or a disability. Similarly, a child may be hyperactive while seated
at a desk doing a boring worksheet, but not necessarily while singing in a
school musical. These behaviors are also very general in nature and give no
clue as to their real origins. A child can be hyperactive because he's
bored, depressed, anxious, allergic to milk, creative, a hands-on learner,
has a difficult temperament, is stressed out, is driven by a media-mad
culture, or any number of other possible causes.

Over the past few decades, there has been a dramatic change in almost
everything. Life has become far more complex than it was. The family unit
has broken down, respect for authority has eroded, television has become a
babysitter, video games leave little time for any physical exercise, bedtime
stories have become a thing of the past, junk food and energy drinks have
replaced fresh fruit and natural drinks, stress levels have skyrocketed,
competition -- not cooperation and interaction -- has become the order of
the day. Each one of us is living in a constant state of insecurity and
unpredictability. When our children start reacting under the strain, we
start looking for scientific labels for the "symptoms" and effective drugs
to mask the symptoms.

This does not mean that stimulants should not be prescribed or they
haven't worked for children. Ritalin has served as a miracle drug for many
children and there are many dramatic success stories. The real cause of
ADD/ADHD is still under investigation. One of the theories is that it is
caused by the imbalance of certain brain chemicals which regulate attention,
aggression, impulsivity and self-control.

These medicines help in the production of neurotransmitters (the
chemicals which help the brain cells to communicate with each other) which
are affected. Some children need it but what needs to be avoided is a
knee-jerk prescription of Ritalin for every child whose behavior and/or
attention doesn't match our norms.

As the textbooks themselves declare that there is no blood test (or
other objective tests) to tell when a child has ADD. Many of the tests used
for the diagnosis are based on behaviour-rating scales and are very
subjective. Dr Armstrong says: "If this is so, then how do we really know
for sure if he or she has it? It has been observed since ADD came to be
known as a disorder that the symptoms of ADD disappear or lessen under
several real life situations: when the child is doing things that interest
him, when (s)he is engaged in one-to-one interaction with someone (s)he
trusts, when being paid to do something, and when the outcomes of activities
can be controlled. If ADD can disappear under these conditions, then how can
ADD really exist as a medical disorder?"

ADD or not ADD, we as teachers, educators and parents need to be more
flexible, accommodating and acceptable towards diversified and different
ways of learning. We should encourage hands on learning because experience
is mapped in the brain for longer than the print. It enhances three
dimensional learning. There are some children who crave for this kind of
learning.

The emphasis on respect towards teachers should be emphasised but at
the same time movements like the tapping of pencil or rocking of the chair
should not be taken as signs of sheer disrespect. Perhaps that child can
only concentrate when he is on the move, with no intention of being
disrespectful towards the teacher.

A child might be restless because he is scared, has been threatened or
has had a bad day. Penalty for such behavior creates negative attention. And
negativity breeds negativity. The problem is that we have always been
trained to deal with symptoms, not the root cause. They might be beautiful
dancers, athletes or leaders. They just can't fit in the stereotypical
classroom mould. This does not mean that they can't learn. They just learn
"in a different way". It will not be fair to label him/her as ADD, put them
on stimulants and get the desired result. Give them a chance to show their
creativity when they are on the go.



The writer is a speech therapist. Email:

ADD is a completely phony Spin-Drome, made up by and for the
spychiatric community, and promoted by the Iron-Fist Mafia of the
Medical-Industrial Death-Complex.

Excellent post. If there even a few people NOT conviced that ADD/ADHD
is totally bogus, this post will convince them it is! Thanks again
Jan!!

Jan Drew wrote:
http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=54544

The myth of ADD



By Sadaf Shahid
I couldn't help but admire the 10-year-old boy. He was excited but
eloquent. He rattled off facts and figures like an encyclopaedia. He could
recall every record made in the last two cricket world cups. Exceptionally
articulate for a 10 year old, his eyes gleamed with excitement and passion
as he extolled the feats of his heroes. With intelligence and maturity that
belied his years, he argued with conviction why one player was better than
another and how certain conditions favoured one or the other player. His
face flushed, he shifted from one position to another, rocking the chair,
constantly tapping the pencil in his hand and generally giving the
impression that his words could not keep pace with the speed of his
thoughts. His rate of speech increased and intonation varied with his
excitement level. Clearly, here was a boy of above-average intelligence with
a mind that could sift facts, place them in a certain order and rattle them
off eloquently. Surely, he must be an excellent student with grades to match
and a source of unmitigated joy for his parents! Such, unfortunately, was
not the case.

The child was having huge problems settling down in the classroom, his
test scores were below-average and his parents were regularly summoned by
the school administration complaining that the boy was either inattentive or
rude. His attitude and performance was marked by wide fluctuations. Very
well behaved and enthusiastic in a music class, he was unable to complete a
math or any other worksheet. The history teacher considered him amongst the
best pupil. While the math teacher found him inattentive at best, unruly and
disruptive at worst.

His mother, who had brought him to me and was witnessing the speed
with which the boy was talking to me and how he tapped his pencil
incessantly, rocking his body to and fro, apologised again and again, while
unsuccessfully trying to rein the boy in.

The symptoms were classic. The boy was neither inattentive nor rude.
He suffered from ADD/ADHD (Attention Deficit /Hyperactivity Disorder)

"Over the past thirty years, attention deficit disorder (ADD) or
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has emerged from the
relative obscurity of cognitive psychologists' research laboratories to
become the "disease du jour" of schoolchildren the world over", says Dr
Thomas Armstrong, an educator, psychologist and consultant. "The Myth of the
A.D.D. Child" is the first book of its kind to challenge the misdiagnosing
of millions of children with attention-deficit disorder and to question the
overuse of psychoactive drugs in treating hyperactivity.

The Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of the American Psychiatric
Association (DSM 1V) describes ADD/ADHD as one of the most common
neurobehavioral disorders of childhood and can persist through adolescence
and into adulthood. Currently the causes are unknown. It is characterised by
pervasive inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity resulting in
significant functional impairment.

The definition of disorders or a disability may differ from one
generation to the next. It is context dependent. It is society that
determines behaviors as normal or abnormal, its people -- able or disable
and ordered or disordered. Not too long ago, poor vision was considered a
defect or a disability. Similarly, a child may be hyperactive while seated
at a desk doing a boring worksheet, but not necessarily while singing in a
school musical. These behaviors are also very general in nature and give no
clue as to their real origins. A child can be hyperactive because he's
bored, depressed, anxious, allergic to milk, creative, a hands-on learner,
has a difficult temperament, is stressed out, is driven by a media-mad
culture, or any number of other possible causes.

Over the past few decades, there has been a dramatic change in almost
everything. Life has become far more complex than it was. The family unit
has broken down, respect for authority has eroded, television has become a
babysitter, video games leave little time for any physical exercise, bedtime
stories have become a thing of the past, junk food and energy drinks have
replaced fresh fruit and natural drinks, stress levels have skyrocketed,
competition -- not cooperation and interaction -- has become the order of
the day. Each one of us is living in a constant state of insecurity and
unpredictability. When our children start reacting under the strain, we
start looking for scientific labels for the "symptoms" and effective drugs
to mask the symptoms.

This does not mean that stimulants should not be prescribed or they
haven't worked for children. Ritalin has served as a miracle drug for many
children and there are many dramatic success stories. The real cause of
ADD/ADHD is still under investigation. One of the theories is that it is
caused by the imbalance of certain brain chemicals which regulate attention,
aggression, impulsivity and self-control.

These medicines help in the production of neurotransmitters (the
chemicals which help the brain cells to communicate with each other) which
are affected. Some children need it but what needs to be avoided is a
knee-jerk prescription of Ritalin for every child whose behavior and/or
attention doesn't match our norms.

As the textbooks themselves declare that there is no blood test (or
other objective tests) to tell when a child has ADD. Many of the tests used
for the diagnosis are based on behaviour-rating scales and are very
subjective. Dr Armstrong says: "If this is so, then how do we really know
for sure if he or she has it? It has been observed since ADD came to be
known as a disorder that the symptoms of ADD disappear or lessen under
several real life situations: when the child is doing things that interest
him, when (s)he is engaged in one-to-one interaction with someone (s)he
trusts, when being paid to do something, and when the outcomes of activities
can be controlled. If ADD can disappear under these conditions, then how can
ADD really exist as a medical disorder?"

ADD or not ADD, we as teachers, educators and parents need to be more
flexible, accommodating and acceptable towards diversified and different
ways of learning. We should encourage hands on learning because experience
is mapped in the brain for longer than the print. It enhances three
dimensional learning. There are some children who crave for this kind of
learning.

The emphasis on respect towards teachers should be emphasised but at
the same time movements like the tapping of pencil or rocking of the chair
should not be taken as signs of sheer disrespect. Perhaps that child can
only concentrate when he is on the move, with no intention of being
disrespectful towards the teacher.

A child might be restless because he is scared, has been threatened or
has had a bad day. Penalty for such behavior creates negative attention. And
negativity breeds negativity. The problem is that we have always been
trained to deal with symptoms, not the root cause. They might be beautiful
dancers, athletes or leaders. They just can't fit in the stereotypical
classroom mould. This does not mean that they can't learn. They just learn
"in a different way". It will not be fair to label him/her as ADD, put them
on stimulants and get the desired result. Give them a chance to show their
creativity when they are on the go.



The writer is a speech therapist. Email:


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Robert Schumann expounded:

ADD is a completely phony Spin-Drome, made up by and for the
spychiatric community, and promoted by the Iron-Fist Mafia of the
Medical-Industrial Death-Complex.

Excellent post. If there even a few people NOT conviced that ADD/ADHD
is totally bogus, this post will convince them it is! Thanks again
Jan!!

Thank *you*, fArty, for exposing one of your other socks!
--
Ann
e-mail address is not checked

"Jan Drew" wrote in message
. ..

The evidence that ADHD is real is overwhelming. People with ADHD have
differences in brain function that are visible on PET scans and other tests
compared with people who don't ADHD.

Jeff

That is another myth. The only so-called difference is that certain
people think they are special by acting totally irresponsible, such as
the person here posting as "Ann" - a total nutcase!

Jeff wrote:
"Jan Drew" wrote in message
. ..

The evidence that ADHD is real is overwhelming. People with ADHD have
differences in brain function that are visible on PET scans and other tests
compared with people who don't ADHD.

Jeff

"Sir Arthur C.B.E. Wholeflaffers A.S.A." expounded:

That is another myth. The only so-called difference is that certain
people think they are special by acting totally irresponsible, such as
the person here posting as "Ann" - a total nutcase!

This is how fArty supports people. Isn't he a peach?

Actually I could give a **** what trolls think.
--
Ann
e-mail address is not checked

"Sir Arthur C.B.E. Wholeflaffers A.S.A." wrote in message
oups.com...
That is another myth. The only so-called difference is that certain
people think they are special by acting totally irresponsible, such as
the person here posting as "Ann" - a total nutcase!

There are literally thousands of articles on how the brains of people with
ADHD function differently than the brains of people without ADHD.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...arch&DB=pubmed

Here are examples.



Neurosci Lett. 2007 Apr 19; [Epub ahead of print]
Cortical excitability in adult patients with
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

* Richter MM,
* Ehlis AC,
* Jacob CP,
* Fallgatter AJ.

Laboratory for Psychophysiology and Functional Imaging, Department of
Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Wuerzburg, Germany.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is more and more focused
on, and the awareness of adult patients with ADHD increases. Deficits in
inhibitory processes in cortical brain areas are discussed as possible
causes for ADHD. An easy measurement of these processes is provided by
transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). We applied single- and double-pulse
TMS to the left motor cortex while an electromyogram (EMG) was taken at the
abductor pollicis brevis muscle (APB) of the right hand. Intracortical
inhibition (SICI) and facilitation (ICF) were measured in ten adult ADHD
patients and ten healthy participants using inter-pulse intervals of 2 and
3ms (SICI), and 8 and 15ms (ICF). Furthermore, resting motor threshold (RMT)
and latency of the motor evoked potential (MEP) following magnetic
stimulation were compared. t-Tests were calculated for statistical analysis.
TMS measurements resulted in impaired inhibition in ADHD patients, whereas
there were no differences in facilitation, RMT and MEP-latency between
groups. Large variability in the patient group was found. This study expands
the findings of deficits in inhibition described in earlier studies in
children to an adult population, which could be a hint for similar
neurophysiological mechanisms underlying ADHD symptomatology in children and
adults.

PMID: 17481816 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Mol Psychiatry. 2007 May 1; [Epub ahead of print]Click here to read Links
Right parietal dysfunction in children with attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder, combined type: a functional MRI study.

* Vance A,
* Silk TJ,
* Casey M,
* Rinehart NJ,
* Bradshaw JL,
* Bellgrove MA,
* Cunnington R.

1Academic Child Psychiatry Unit, Department of Paediatrics, University
of Melbourne, Royal Children's Hospital, Murdoch Children's Research
Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, combined type (ADHD-CT) is
associated with spatial working memory deficits. These deficits are known to
be subserved by dysfunction of neural circuits involving right prefrontal,
striatal and parietal brain regions. This study determines whether decreased
right prefrontal, striatal and parietal activation with a mental rotation
task shown in adolescents with ADHD-CT is also evident in children with
ADHD-CT. A cross-sectional study of 12 pre-pubertal, right-handed,
8-12-year-old boys with ADHD-CT and 12 pre-pubertal, right-handed,
performance IQ-matched, 8-12-year-old healthy boys, recruited from local
primary schools, was completed. Participants underwent functional magnetic
resonance imaging while performing a mental rotation task that requires
spatial working memory. The two groups did not differ in their accuracy or
response times for the mental rotation task. The ADHD-CT group showed
significantly less activation in right parieto-occipital areas (cuneus and
precuneus, BA 19), the right inferior parietal lobe (BA 40) and the right
caudate nucleus. Our findings with a child cohort confirm previous reports
of right striatal-parietal dysfunction in adolescents with ADHD-CT. This
dysfunction suggests a widespread maturational deficit that may be
developmental stage independent.Molecular Psychiatry advance online
publication, 1 May 2007; doi:10.1038/sj.mp.4001999.

PMID: 17471290 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]


Jeff wrote:
"Jan Drew" wrote in message
. ..

The evidence that ADHD is real is overwhelming. People with ADHD have
differences in brain function that are visible on PET scans and other
tests
compared with people who don't ADHD.

Jeff

In article .com,
Sir Arthur C.B.E. Wholeflaffers A.S.A. wrote:
That is another myth. The only so-called difference is that certain
people think they are special by acting totally irresponsible, such as
the person here posting as "Ann" - a total nutcase!

"Myth," eh? Sure, "Artie." Let's see your evidence. By the way,
simply announcing that you are an authority does not constitute
evidence. It wouldn't be evidence even if you were an authority,
which you are not.

-- David Wright :: alphabeta at prodigy.net
These are my opinions only, but they're almost always correct.
"I'll kill anyone that tries to stop me from killing anyone."
-- Yellowbeard



Jeff wrote:
"Jan Drew" wrote in message
. ..

The evidence that ADHD is real is overwhelming. People with ADHD have
differences in brain function that are visible on PET scans and other tests
compared with people who don't ADHD.

Jeff

Wright, we've been through this a million times, so please refer to my
previous posts over the many years. I understand your cults obvious
conflict of interest or should I say: CONFLICTS of interest! Yes, ADD/
ADHD are complete myths, made up of whole cloth to be "cured" by
certain pharmaceuticals, which really only exacerbate and mask those
conditions, which are be to determined by the spychiatrists
convienence! The facts prove that my knowledge of this subject is
vastly suprior to yours, and besides that, I am completely objective
on this subject.


David Wright wrote:
In article .com,
Sir Arthur C.B.E. Wholeflaffers A.S.A. wrote:
That is another myth. The only so-called difference is that certain
people think they are special by acting totally irresponsible, such as
the person here posting as "Ann" - a total nutcase!

"Myth," eh? Sure, "Artie." Let's see your evidence. By the way,
simply announcing that you are an authority does not constitute
evidence. It wouldn't be evidence even if you were an authority,
which you are not.

-- David Wright :: alphabeta at prodigy.net
These are my opinions only, but they're almost always correct.
"I'll kill anyone that tries to stop me from killing anyone."
-- Yellowbeard



Jeff wrote:
"Jan Drew" wrote in message
. ..

The evidence that ADHD is real is overwhelming. People with ADHD have
differences in brain function that are visible on PET scans and other tests
compared with people who don't ADHD.

Jeff

"Sir Arthur C.B.E. Wholeflaffers A.S.A." wrote in message
oups.com...
Wright, we've been through this a million times, so please refer to my
previous posts over the many years. I understand your cults obvious
conflict of interest or should I say: CONFLICTS of interest! Yes, ADD/
ADHD are complete myths,

Bull****. The evidence that people with adhd have brains that work
differently than people without adhd is overwhelming.

made up of whole cloth to be "cured" by
certain pharmaceuticals,

While pharmaceuticals are one way to help people with ADHD, there many other
things that can help these people. In the case of kids, moving them to the
front of the room where they will be least distracted is one such thing.

which really only exacerbate and mask those
conditions,

Actually, what the pharmaceuticals do is enable people with ADHD to focus
and make their own decisions free of distractions.

which are be to determined by the spychiatrists
convienence!

Determined by experience of psychiatrists and other professionals.

The facts prove that my knowledge of this subject is
vastly suprior to yours, and besides that, I am completely objective
on this subject.

You have yet to demonstrate that you any useful knowledge on this subject
nor are you objective.

Jeff

David Wright wrote:
In article .com,
Sir Arthur C.B.E. Wholeflaffers A.S.A. wrote:
That is another myth. The only so-called difference is that certain
people think they are special by acting totally irresponsible, such as
the person here posting as "Ann" - a total nutcase!

"Myth," eh? Sure, "Artie." Let's see your evidence. By the way,
simply announcing that you are an authority does not constitute
evidence. It wouldn't be evidence even if you were an authority,
which you are not.

-- David Wright :: alphabeta at prodigy.net
These are my opinions only, but they're almost always correct.
"I'll kill anyone that tries to stop me from killing anyone."
-- Yellowbeard



Jeff wrote:
"Jan Drew" wrote in message
. ..

The evidence that ADHD is real is overwhelming. People with ADHD have
differences in brain function that are visible on PET scans and other
tests
compared with people who don't ADHD.

Jeff