Schools responsible for ADHD explosion in Australia
Categories: Safety, Development, Education
A new Australian study has concluded that it is not doctors (as many have suspected) who are responsible for the "crisis" in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) through over-prescription of Ritalin and other drugs. Instead, it is the general underfunding of schools that is too blame, causing teachers to label kids who behave poorly with ADHD even when that is not the case. Linda Graham, a researcher at Sydney University, said teachers are forced into diagnosing "hyper" children with potential ADHD because schools do not have sufficient resources to find educational answers and ways to handle kids with behavior problems who nonetheless do not deserve to be labeled hyperactive and placed on serious drugs like ritalin.
"ADHD is not a sympathetic diagnosis – these children do not get supported, they get managed," she also said. "Often the only way for parents, then, is to dose them up with Ritalin. " Over diagnosis of ADHD is even more rampant in Australia than it is in the United States and other parts of the world, where the diagnosis and reliance on drugs like ritalin may actually be in decline.
The researchers hope to continue their research in order to determine just how much pressure schools and teacher place parents to get them to medicate their children in order to regulate their behavior, and why parents are so willing to accept the diagnosis by schools and teachers.
"ADHD is not a sympathetic diagnosis – these children do not get supported, they get managed," she also said. "Often the only way for parents, then, is to dose them up with Ritalin. " Over diagnosis of ADHD is even more rampant in Australia than it is in the United States and other parts of the world, where the diagnosis and reliance on drugs like ritalin may actually be in decline.
The researchers hope to continue their research in order to determine just how much pressure schools and teacher place parents to get them to medicate their children in order to regulate their behavior, and why parents are so willing to accept the diagnosis by schools and teachers.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
SKL 5-03-2007 @ 10:05AM
Maybe if they could resort to old-fashioned discipline they wouldn't have an incentive to drug the kids. Yes, it's wrong, but it's also not fair that teachers and schools have been stripped of all reasonable alternatives.
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Ethel 5-03-2007 @ 10:14AM
Wow SKL, as I recall spankings only brought on resentment and disrespect, and taught me my mom would spank when she was really angry. Natural consequences are quite a bit more effective. "Old-fashioned discipline" is a load of crap, and most folks with a brain know it.
What I don't get is that I would think Ritalin without really having ADHD must make the kid nuts! How would that improve discipline? Maybe they're vibrating too much to move....
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nicolebarber 5-03-2007 @ 11:01AM
Maybe if we quit worring about whats going on in other countries sometimes and take a look at our own country and fix the problems here then we wouldn't be drugging kids just because they act up. Millions of dollars go to support a war that won't be won at least not now anyways but our money could go to improving the schools and our childrens education, Did you know they pass kids who can not read or are struggling in their current grades just to move them on because they don't have the resource to fund reading groups, special ed classes, or to teach children proper english yes it's not just foreign children but American born children. One teacher to 32 students is a big problem not all children learn at the same ability so yes some act out their bored or they can't understand whats going on so their attention spend is going somewhere else. I have a child who was diagnosed with Adhd and they wanted him on meds guess what he is a typical boy short attention spand bored in class can't understand some of things going on in class because A.) teacher to busy moving on to new material B.)There are 31 other students who need her as well C.) Not enough help in the class. BAck to the point we need better funding for schools and teachers better start getting a medical degree before allowed to diagnose a child and Dr.s Need to get off their bums and start observing Children in their school enviroment before giving meds that are needed because ritalian has very nasty side effects for children who don't need it and those who are on it tend to have bad effects later on.
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nicolebarber 5-03-2007 @ 11:09AM
I think I forget to mention my son doesn't have adhd he has a learning disability and thanks to those teachers( diagnosing him with Adhd) who keep passing him just to get him out of their classrooms and not telling us about his problems he was having thank you by the way over the summer break last year I taught him how to read he was going into third grade and we have a great teacher this year.
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Kathy 5-03-2007 @ 1:32PM
Wow...teachers in Australia can diagnose and prescribe drugs? I'm teaching in the wrong country.
Seriously. I teach high school. I have ONCE in my 18 years of teaching suggested that parents get their child tested. By a doctor who specialized in attention deficit. I don't know any teachers who diagnose. None can prescribe ritalin. Most of my coworkers think the condition is over-diagnosed; we certainly don't want more kids taking unnecessary drugs.
So, if I move to Australia, can I diagnose/prescribe anything? I could use some good prescription strength allergy meds about now.
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Jessica 5-03-2007 @ 2:04PM
Nicole, I am not trying to be rude, just helpful.
Your responses are really difficult to decipher with the lack of punctuation and plethora of run-on's. I would like to read what you have to say but I can't get through the continuous paragraph.
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SKL 5-03-2007 @ 11:20PM
Hmm, Ethel, I never used the word "spank." Nearly all of my teachers disciplined their classes quite well with no spanking and no ritalin. However, in those days, we were taught to care a great deal for our teachers' opinion of us, so a quiet word was usually enough to keep us in line. I think there is a great lack of respect for teachers today, along with other authority figures including parents. I don't think it's because of an increase in spankings.
I have definitely seen US teachers pushing parents to put multiple kids (per class) on "meds" to manage classroom chaos. I am sure most teachers would not do this, but it does happen a lot more than it should.
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SKL 5-03-2007 @ 11:27PM
And by the way, I'm glad to know that everyone (except stupid me) has concluded that "old-fashioned discipline is a load of crap." The wisdom of the ages has been often abandoned in this generation. I wish I could say that now that "everyone knows" better ways to discipline, kids are developing healthier habits and relationships, learning more in school, and generally reaching maturity at an age-appropriate time without detours in detention centers, medical centers (for pregnancies and STDs), mental health centers, etc. Unfortunately the opposite is true. But at least everyone's being smart about discipline - we have that, apparently.
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Heather 5-03-2007 @ 11:48PM
Maybe if the were allowed to "run" at recess, had gym everyday, they might burn some of tha energy off.
Maybe if the teachers were not in fear of being able to give resonable disapline without being sued, they might have a little more control. Some cases the teacher gets in trouble for making the kid have a detention.
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