When my boy was in Grade 3, two years ago, his teacher tried to have him diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, on grounds that effectively came down to the fact that he was not keeping up with her program. He was forced to undergo an evaluation process through the Health Department which fortunately did not conclude that he was "afflicted", but was lagging in some developmental indicators. It was, however, sufficiently ambiguous that it could have been used to justify medication if his mother and I had been prepared to countenance it. We were not.

That teacher took a redundancy package at the end of that year and my boy was very lucky to have a teacher in the next year who was obviously more skilled and more committed to his students. He flourished and is now at the top of his grade 5 class in several subjects, including maths, which his grade 3 teacher assured everyone he was completely incapable of learning.

I suspect that many of the poor kids who wind up on medication are simply in need of a decent teacher and some caring, committed parents. It's all too easy to allow a kid to be doped up for the convenience of the adults around him, especially time-serving teachers who have passed their use-by date. Good on the AMA.

Antiseptic

"I suspect that many of the poor kids who wind up on medication are simply in need of a decent teacher and some caring, committed parents."

I agree, 'a decent teacher and some caring, committed parents' are certainly important if children are to thrive in any educational setting.

Even the 'decent' teachers though, will soon tell you that in any given class there are usually at least two or three students, and often more, who have great difficulty in sitting still and maintaining concentration for more than a short period. They're in the same setting with the same teacher but their response is very different to the majority of the students who are focused and getting on with the task at hand.

Yes, quality teaching and loving and consistent parenting are both critical. But they don't provide the complete answer as to why an increasing percentage of students are experiencing ongoing problems with the jitters and minds that just won't focus.

One theory that was around a few years ago was that ADHD and similar 'maladies' were invented to provide an excuse to drug children. This was to be an expansive program that would eventually lead to a docile, compliant population that would be easily controlled by the politicians. I've been searching around but can't find any trace of the theory now so either it's been shot down in flames or suppressed as too near the truth. I don't know.

What could cause some reason to support the theory is the accelerating push for gun control in recent years. Also, the 'dumbing-down' of our people via mind-numbing rubbish on TV etc. An unarmed, docile, sheeplike population would be putty in the hands of their masters.

Shades of 1984, Brave New World, Logan's Run? Prophetic? I hope not.

Bronwyn,
I am uncomfortable with your Generalization about the causes of ADHD and depression. I would agree that in SOME patients this maybe so but as the basis of an absolutist statement?

There are many possible causes for Depression, some hormone driven, others organic and some like Bipolar types 1& 2 are brain chemically induced. You are right that not everyone is able to be successfully medicated and all have varying degrees of success. In some case food choices can make a difference but a cure?

EVERYONE
I have two sons who were misdiagnosed as having two different forms of ADHD suite and were for a time medicated.

One turned out to be simply under challenged, bored. Solution, Changed his school.

The other had/has Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD it’s on the net)). Because of our ignorance and the misdiagnoses (plural) now in mid twenties he is suffering the consequences of not getting the right help when he needed it.

We thought he was a quiet child he tested well IQ wise and did well in primary school if a little over pedantic with his work and often slow to complete tasks. He liked structure. But his performance progressively deteriorated as he went up in high school. Sadly the real cause wasn’t suspected until year 11 a truly traumatic time.

Unlike ADHD there are specific tests for CAPD it is measurable. A friend’s child had been diagnosed as ADHD (-) and medicated with little effect. On our suggestion they had her CAPD tested and now she is doing well in high school due to the addition of Visual Cues that are there in primary school and progressively less available in high school.

My point is that not all instant diagnosis are correct. Nor that CAPD is the solution. If your child is diagnosed ADHD (-) it’s worth the effort to look for other possible explanations, we wish we had.

Examinator

"Bronwyn, I am uncomfortable with your Generalization about the causes of ADHD and depression. I would agree that in SOME patients this maybe so but as the basis of an absolutist statement? "

I made no claims whatever and certainly no 'absolutist statement' about the 'causes' of either condition.

Similarly to your comments on the causes of depression, I too see both conditions as resulting from a complex interplay of multiple genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors.

"In some case food choices can make a difference but a cure?"

Once again, I didn't claim that food choices were a 'cure'. I said they were a 'treatment'. There is a difference.

Food does affect brain chemistry. There's a lot of literature on the subject and more and more people are starting to see the connection and trying to understand it further. The dietary requirements are quite specific and take time to fine tune. With perseverance and committment though they can make a definite and sustained difference in clearing the mind, calming the nerves and lifting the mood.

Bronwyn, if we're going to discuss depression here as well as ADHD, there is plenty of evidence these days that exercise affects depression. So it may not be just what goes into the body in food, but what comes out as sweat!