ADHD conference opens in Minneapolis

All these spoiled brats need is a swift kick in the rear.

Yeah Right wrote:

All these spoiled brats need is a swift kick in the rear.

The article also covered adults, but I suppose you couldn't stick with it long enough.

you really need to study what adhd and add is before you start kicking rears. As a mom of a child with adhd, i have tried everything. My daughter is far from spoiled.
Saying a child with adhd is just spoiled is like telling a child with a limp to just learn to walk straight.

The last study I saw quoted in the paper, said 55% of kids have ADHD.....Doesn't that mean the abnormal people are the ones that don't have it, and the ADHD kids are the normal ones??

I love the quote, "it's hard for them to look at anything but themselves" LOL! It's called ego and they need a good swift kick in the butt. I have seen a few adults w/ ADHD and was amazed and how squirrly they were. Put em' on a pill and get on w/ life. It's not an excuse.

adhd mom wrote:

you really need to study what adhd and add is before you start kicking rears. As a mom of a child with adhd, i have tried everything. My daughter is far from spoiled.
Saying a child with adhd is just spoiled is like telling a child with a limp to just learn to walk straight.

I feel for you and admire your devotion to help your child. HOwever, I believe that there are some (not yours) that are simply difficult kids that the parents want an easy fix.. so medicate the child. I have a friend who is a elementary teacher who says that over half her class are on redilin (spelled incorrectly, sorry)and they have to take a "med break" every morning! That's why conferences like this are good... we need to learn to recognize what/who are the ones that really do need the meds and who needs "the swift kick" as mentioned in the posting above.

Alex wrote:

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I feel for you and admire your devotion to help your child. HOwever, I believe that there are some (not yours) that are simply difficult kids that the parents want an easy fix.. so medicate the child. I have a friend who is a elementary teacher who says that over half her class are on redilin (spelled incorrectly, sorry)and they have to take a "med break" every morning! That's why conferences like this are good... we need to learn to recognize what/who are the ones that really do need the meds and who needs "the swift kick" as mentioned in the posting above.

i agree with much of what you stated. I have a child also that has ADHD and honestly, if he had been my 1st I would have not realized that his behavior was more then "boys being boys", being that he was my 3rd I realized when he was very young that something wasn't quite right. Parent's jump on the drug bandwagon w/o trying anything else or doing their own research (the MD did not help, as I wasn't ready to medicate, they stated to "call us when you're ready for medication"-what?! he was 3 years old!)
i did my own research and spent a year debating before finally resorting to medication, and why i still don't like it, my son is almost 11 years old, gets excellent marks in school and has progressed to medication on school days only, and manages his symptoms with the help of his family and other tools we have taught him over the years. ADHD is over diagnosised and too often used as an excuse for poor behavior

Old Vet wrote:

The last study I saw quoted in the paper, said 55% of kids have ADHD.....Doesn't that mean the abnormal people are the ones that don't have it, and the ADHD kids are the normal ones??

That's because most parents are lazy and don't want to deal with their children so they take them to the Dr. and say that the child is hyper and can't comcentrate and blah blah blah. Its so sad to think about how many kids in one elementary school classroom are drugged up. Most of these kids just need parents who are more active in their lives

When my first son was diagnosed with ADHD, I was very hesitant to put him on meds. His teachers and his father and I tried EVERYTHING to get him to help concentrate, focus, calm down, etc. I finally agreed to try meds, and it was the difference between night and day. He was still the bright, energetic child he'd always been, but now he could actually accomplish all the things he'd wanted to do but just couldn't either begin or finish once he'd started.
So a 'swift kick' wouldn't have done any good, and anyone who thinks so is truly ignorant, sorry.
ADHD kids have trouble making friends, taking turns, sitting still, acknowledging other peoples' "personal spaces" and therefore become isolated in a lot of cases. Within a month of starting his meds, his classmates warmed up to him because he wasn't as erratic as he had been.
And undiagnosed ADHD in kids can present itself as depression or anxiety disorder in adults; if we can stop that from happening, why shouldn't we try?
I know there are probably thousands of kids that are medicated who shouldn't be, but those who truly need it should not be denied it because of ignorance and the stigma of being on meds.
And my children (both ADHD) are not spoiled; they're polite, well-mannered, extremely bright and can carry on conversations with adults as well as their peers and are quite a joy to be around. They just needed some help to get there and it was my responsibility as a parent to do whatever needed to be done to that end. Meds are not the only answer. Both my sons know that they have as much responsibilty to monitor their behavior whether they get their meds or not. As they mature, it's easier for some to 'catch themselves' and change their behaviors, but for some it takes other methods.

Richellek wrote:

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That's because most parents are lazy and don't want to deal with their children so they take them to the Dr. and say that the child is hyper and can't comcentrate and blah blah blah. Its so sad to think about how many kids in one elementary school classroom are drugged up. Most of these kids just need parents who are more active in their lives

I object to your statement...if you had a child with ADHD you may have more consideration. I'm sure there are some kids misdiagnosed, but that may include ADD as well as ADHD. Lazy parents probably wouldn't take their child to the doctor...Just because something is diagnosed more does not mean it it's misdiagnosed, we just hear more about it (like we do with most things in the age we live in). As a parent, it was a struggle to put my son on medication. I didn't want him to change or be "drugged" and the sense of failure as a parent is overwhelming. Thankfully, a friend who was diagnosed after high school told me how he wished he had been able to be medicated in his younger years, that school would have been so much better for him.

There is a book called "Why Gender Matters" written by Dr. Leonard Sax a pediatrician. He was aware of a study that showed that from birth boys hearing is not as good as girls hearing. In an elementary classroom most often the teacher is a female speaking in a voice that seem normal for her. Many times if a boy is given the choice he will sit in the back of the classroom. If he can't properly hear the teacher he becomes bored and distracted. When children were referred to him for a diagnosis on adhd he would ask the parents to take their child back to school and ask the teacher to move the child to the front of the room for one month and see if that made a difference. In most cases he states that the school usually referred the parents to a different doctor that usually placed the child on medication. I am not a doctor but I am a parent to 7 children three of which are boys. I believe as a society we are far to quick to take a pill or give them to our children. We need to take a step back and really think about what we are doing to our children and our society in general.

Diet, exercise, environment. Three causes and cures for this behavior disorder.

ADHD is real. All of you who do not believe that obviously have not had to deal with it in yourself or a child. However, I do believe it is and overused excuse. Usually a general practitioner is not qualified to make a positive diagnosis. It takes a specialist and much testing and observation to correctly identify ADHD or ADD. I have 2 kids that have it. One of them has learned to deal with it and no longer is on medication and the other goes to therapy and is on a small dosage of meds. As children these kids had a rough time in school. It was rare to find a teacher who knew that most of the time all these kids need is to be allowed to learn things in different ways. ADHD kids are hands on learners and there is nothing wrong with that.
All in all, please parents, make sure you have your kids tested by a knowledgable specialist in ADHD and ADD and if your kids are diagnosed and medicated do not EVER blame the fact that they are "acting up" because they have not had their meds. You need to keep the medication part low-key otherwise they too will blame their behavior on no meds and come to think they don't have to take responsibility for anything. A big part of dealing with ADHD is to accept it and learn what works for you as an individual to deal with it yourself.

Bucky wrote:

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I object to your statement...if you had a child with ADHD you may have more consideration. I'm sure there are some kids misdiagnosed, but that may include ADD as well as ADHD. Lazy parents probably wouldn't take their child to the doctor...Just because something is diagnosed more does not mean it it's misdiagnosed, we just hear more about it (like we do with most things in the age we live in). As a parent, it was a struggle to put my son on medication. I didn't want him to change or be "drugged" and the sense of failure as a parent is overwhelming. Thankfully, a friend who was diagnosed after high school told me how he wished he had been able to be medicated in his younger years, that school would have been so much better for him.

How is possible that over half of the population of children are diagnosed with either ADD or ADHD. To me, that seems then that thats just how kids are. I have worked in enough daycares and elementary school classrooms to see that some of these kids who are on medication maybe just need a little extra attention. No, I am not a dr so I cant say for sure who has what and what kids need meds. But in my opinion, I see ADHD as an excuse with parents.

Richellek wrote:

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How is possible that over half of the population of children are diagnosed with either ADD or ADHD. To me, that seems then that thats just how kids are. I have worked in enough daycares and elementary school classrooms to see that some of these kids who are on medication maybe just need a little extra attention. No, I am not a dr so I cant say for sure who has what and what kids need meds. But in my opinion, I see ADHD as an excuse with parents.

you make valid points in your opinions, however you cannot make a blanket statement about all ADHD cases because of some poor examples

Mom in Cottage Grove wrote:

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you make valid points in your opinions, however you cannot make a blanket statement about all ADHD cases because of some poor examples

I never said all ADHD cases were the cause of poor parenting. I said most. And I do believe that. I doubt even half of the kids diagnosed with ADHD really have it. I feel like its just an excuse.

I am an adult with ADHD.(Of course back then the doctor just called me "hyperactive" and put me on low dose tranquilizers.) I have studied the subject while earning a graduate degree in special education. I am now a retired special educator.

True ADD or ADHD students simply do not have the ability to concentrate or, in some cases, sit still. I agree that there are some parents who take their children to the doctor for an ADHD diagnosis in hopes that there is a quick fix. And I remember certain doctors who seemed to diagnose most children with ADHD.


Let's not dismiss the disability or the treatment. I have seen dramatic results. Ex: a student who was frustrated an unable to do the simplest math problems, suddenly knew all of his multiplication facts--which were in his brain but needed the chemical connection in the brain to make it happen. I have also seen cases of no change or negative results as a result of treatment. Every child is different. If a parent came to me with a concern about his/her child being unable to learn, my advice always was to take the child to a physician that he/she trusted and tell the doctor the same thing I was told. Would you do any less for your child?

By the way, my first comment was that I am adult with ADHD. I was disorganized, off task, and had a hard time concentrating--and my grades showed it. The thing that got me through high school and college was that all of the adults in my community, my parents, teachers, members of my church, etc., made me be responsible for my work and my behavior. That is part of the equation, too.

All of you who prescribe a "kick in the rear" as a cure just make me feel that much more appreciative of my supportive husband, who does not have ADHD (as I do). He may not have an "8-track mind" as I call it but his patience with me when I get sidetracked is crucial to my success as a wife & parent.

Q:How many ADHD kids does it take to change a lightbulb?

A:Wanna ride bikes?

3 of my kids were diagnosed with ADHD and depression. Eventually got tested and found they had Pyroluria - deficiency in zinc & B6, once those levels were at a normal level, they were fine. I encourage any parent or person with autism, ADHD, OCD, ODD, bipolar, depression, or scizophrenia, PLEASE read up on pyroluria on the internet. The cheapest place to get diagnosed in the twin cities is midwest wellness, www.midwestwellness.com , if you have money, go to Pfeiffer Treatment Center in Oakdale. Midwest Wellness is about $200 and run by Dr. Wand (good dr), Pfeiffer is about $1500 but is run by Dr. Carl Pfeiffer who is world-wide known for his treatment in this area.

I did NOT medicate my son for his first 3 yrs after being diagnosed with ADHD, but he got to the point where he couldn't even write a complete sentence due to his inability to concentrate. His IQ has always tested above average so this was a concern to me and I had to put him on something or he was flunking. People without ADHD do not understand how real it is.