When you think about a typical child, one thinks of someone who has a need to run around and tinker with toys to their hearts content. As a little girl, I remember constantly putting something in my hand and imagining the world around me through a visual medium. I wrote on anything my pens and markers could "scribble" on: paper, newspapers, magazines, shirts, and yes, even the kitchen table and the walls. It was hard for my mom to understand why I had a genetic predisposition to the world of print (it's partially my grandfather who influenced me. The man never went anywhere without writing things down as he was an attorney and diplomate) but I am glad that she never stopped me from doing what I was meant to do: express myself in the best way my brain knew how.
What grabs me at my heart is when I see children unable to be children in this day and age. I remember my childhood as if it were yesterday but when I see how some children are constantly drugged or tucked into some corner because they (or the adults around them) are unable to manage their behavior, it tugs at my heartstrings and makes me feel so helpless for the little one. There is so much that I feel we can do for children and to mistakenly label "boredom" with a diagnosis of ADD or ADHD is just uncalled for.
I recall this one time where I arrived (or was scheduled) at an unusually early time for one of my little clients. It was at 7:30am and the client had motioned to me that her son had not been medicated and as such, would not sit and pay attention. Rather than disagreeing with her, I continued working with her son and noticed after about 20 minutes, his thoughts and energy were retarded as a result of the medication. It was quite devastating for me - as the drugs started to kick in, I noticed his brain slip away and the look in his eyes resemble that of a zombie. It's one thing to be completely focused on something that you enjoy doing, it's another to be forced to pay attention against your will.
Other than an occasional dose of allergy medicine (that puts me to sleep after about 30 minutes), it's quite daunting to see how quickly the effects of medication has on students with attention problems. Perhaps students with ADHD can be managed a little differently or instead of using all that medicine, wouldn't it be more prudent to teach them life-skills or coping strategies?
I've never really been in favor of medication for those who have minor to moderate attention problems. Maybe we can advocate for teaching them how to manage their behaviors as a long term solution instead.
What grabs me at my heart is when I see children unable to be children in this day and age. I remember my childhood as if it were yesterday but when I see how some children are constantly drugged or tucked into some corner because they (or the adults around them) are unable to manage their behavior, it tugs at my heartstrings and makes me feel so helpless for the little one. There is so much that I feel we can do for children and to mistakenly label "boredom" with a diagnosis of ADD or ADHD is just uncalled for.
I recall this one time where I arrived (or was scheduled) at an unusually early time for one of my little clients. It was at 7:30am and the client had motioned to me that her son had not been medicated and as such, would not sit and pay attention. Rather than disagreeing with her, I continued working with her son and noticed after about 20 minutes, his thoughts and energy were retarded as a result of the medication. It was quite devastating for me - as the drugs started to kick in, I noticed his brain slip away and the look in his eyes resemble that of a zombie. It's one thing to be completely focused on something that you enjoy doing, it's another to be forced to pay attention against your will.
Other than an occasional dose of allergy medicine (that puts me to sleep after about 30 minutes), it's quite daunting to see how quickly the effects of medication has on students with attention problems. Perhaps students with ADHD can be managed a little differently or instead of using all that medicine, wouldn't it be more prudent to teach them life-skills or coping strategies?
I've never really been in favor of medication for those who have minor to moderate attention problems. Maybe we can advocate for teaching them how to manage their behaviors as a long term solution instead.
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