Double Journal Entry 4 ADHD

Quote:  However, from first grade on, seat work predominates, and creative, kindergarten-type activities rapidly diminish. Not coincidentally, it is at this point that teachers often start complaining about "ADD behaviors" in some of their students.


This is an extremely touchy subject for our family and for me personally.  It infuriates me when a child is labeled ADD or ADHD because they are not able to sit still, talk out loud or tap or shake their legs. I have experienced children who have not been taught at home how to behave in public or in a structured environment, it doesn't mean they have ADHD and need medication. I have also been around parents who have not wanted to deal with their misbehaved child and have put them on medication.  This freaks me out, if your child doesn't NEED the medication, please don't medicate.

In Georgia medication for ADD and ADHD was called the "mommy drug" simply because the mom's didn't want to deal with their own kids.  Several physicians banned together and actually refused to prescribe Ritalin, Concerta  and other drugs unless the child went through several months of testing to ensure the child was not being unnecessarily medicated. Parents would actually become irate because they wanted help now!  The kids had to be protected from the parents!

I love the concept of determining what style of learner a child is and trying to implement appropriate learning styles! 

Quote:  Moreover, many learners simply don’t learn through “drill and kill” activities or memorization. These students struggle to learn not because they lack focus or attention, but because these teaching methods DON’T teach this type of brain.

I wonder why it took so long to actually realize why all people do not learn the same.  Any parent who has raised more than one child knows each sibling is differnet than the other. Children don't learn the alphabet, their numbers, what the word no means, because the reach a magic age, they learn because we figure out how to teach them.


References: Linksman, R. (n.d.). The fine line between adhd and kinesthetic learners. Retrieved from http://www.latitudes.org/articles/learn01.html

M, W. (2012, January 31). Is it adhd or a different learning style. Retrieved from http://www.prweb.com/releases/sight_word/learning_styles/prweb9152457.htm