Conference moira::parenting_v3

There is an entire notesfile dedicated to ADD and other learning disorders.  
Hit KP7 to add it to your notebook.  There is a lot of information in there, 
including treatment sources, and a support\educational group in Central 
Massachusetts.

Our daughter (10) has ADD, and is taking Ritalin.  Our son (7) has shown no 
signs.

To respond specifically to some of the points you raised:

I'm not disagreeing with the association between ADD and trauma during 
pregnancy or childbirth, but I've done a fair amount of reading on the 
subject, and I haven't seen any association like that.  All the reading I 
have done indicates that it is genetic.  While a stable family life may have a 
strong effect on a child's (an parents') ability to cope with ADD, ADD itself 
is not caused by an unstable family situation.  It is not related to 
intelligence.  In fact, it's more difficult to diagnose in an intelligent kid.

In the Learning Disorders notesfile there are severeal discussions on Ritalin, 
on alternative drugs, and one other methods of treating ADD.  I don't know 
what concern your nephew's parents have with Ritalin, but my personal 
experience is that a lot of the controversy is overstated.

Rather than enter a long note here, I'll just say that I would be happy to 
discuss our experience directly with your nephew's parents (contact me by 
VAXmail or by phone).  It also would be helpful to me if I understood just what 
their concerns are.

And as a moderator, I'd just like to enter a caution.  Remember that all 
Easynet Notesfiles are for internal use only.  If you summarize, that's 
probably OK, but don't extract a note without getting permission of the 
author (which you've got for this note).  And even if you get permission, 
delete all the headers.

Clay

    Maybe a good nutritionist would help. 
    
    Kate

    I agree with the following:
    1...read the LEARNING_DISABILITIES file - it has lots in it on ADD
    and Ritalin.
    2...ADD problems are *not* the result of psychological, home or
    trauma.  The parents should not blame themselves for "causing"
    the problem, but should make sure the child gets the educational
    and medical help needed.  ADD is well understood and there are
    medical and educational approaches that will allow an ADD child
    to be successful.
    
    For more info on ADD:
    
    call FEDERATION FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS (617) 482-2915
    call CHILDREN WITH ADD, Sandra Thomas (413) 773-3486
    
    
    My wife teaches in a school for bright learning disabled children,
    many of whom have attention defecit disorders.  Ritalin has such
    a positive impact on most of this school's students that teachers
    can often tell when a child has not taken the Ritalin.
    
    I had a brain injury and I am taking Ritalin for the same reason
    many children do - I can not concentrate for long periods of
    time.  Once I found out the right dosage I have been better able
    to concentrate.
    
    I have read many comments from kids who take Ritalin that have the
    tone "when I take my Ritalin the 'real' me comes out."
    
    It's good the teacher has sent notes home to alert the parent on
    this issue.  The teacher will also need to adapt her teaching style
    to suit the child.  For example, children with ADD need more
    direct, intensive teacher interaction - done in a way that will
    not damge the child's self esteem.
    
    The ADD child's inability to focus and get work done like the rest
    of the kids must not become a reason for inappropriate disciplining
    - you wouldn't discipline a child with a fever or a cold who
    doesn't get work done, and a child with ADD has neurological
    dysfunctions that will not be corrected with discipline.
    Most of these youngsters are already well aware that they are
    different than their classmates and spend more mental energy
    and effort doing 15 minutes of work than their agemates expand
    doing an hour of work.
    
    There are medical and educational approaches that can be used to
    help the child with ADD.  In Massachusetts (at this time) a child
    with ADD has the right to an individual education plan (IEP) that
    will detail specific educational steps to help the child become
    successful in the regular classroom.
    

    The descriptions in these notes sound so much like my 11 year old. 
    While living in Rhode Island my son had alot of problems in school. 
    His work was of poor quality, barely passing.  The school performed
    numerous tests on him to see if he had a learning problem.  But, as it
    turned out he was quite intelligent.  It has been a continual problem
    over the past few years with school, etc.  Now that we've moved back to
    Texas and he's in the sixth grade, I'm not sure he's going to pass this
    year.  *None* of his teachers seem very willing to help.  I've asked if
    he did have ADD, but they said no (both school districts).  Now that I
    know that I.Q. has nothing to do with it, I sure feel better.  Our
    teachers should know that though, because my son already has a complex
    about "being stupid".  I think I'll check into this more...
    
    Jane

    I'm just curious, is it 100% sure that environment does NOT contribute
    to ADD. 

    My two cents' worth.
    
    Before accepting ANY diagnosis, get it checked out thoroughly.  Many
    people throw the ADD label on kids when it really isn't their problem. 
    Get a complete evaluation done, including one by a neuro-psychologist
    and one by a pediatric neurologist.  My experience is that most school
    systems (especially ones where staff has been cut by Prop 2-1/2) are
    ill-equipped to do proper special needs evaluations, and most
    pediatricians are not trained in these areas.  Go to a
    specially-trained pediatric team which is focussed on children with
    learning disorders.  I'm sure that the ADD notesfile has specific
    information on such teams.  If not, there are such teams at Mass
    General, Children's Hospital, Youville Hospital in Cambridge, and the
    Shriver Center in Waltham (plus many others I'm sure).

I don't think that you can be 100% sure of anything.  But from all the reading 
I've done, the evidence points to being genetic as opposed to dietary or 
environmental.  I think that all avenues should be investigated, BUT NOT AT 
THE EXPENSE OF GETTING AN EVALUATION DONE BY A LEARNING DISORDERS SPECIALIST.

And it's unquestionably true that environment reacts with and has a major 
effect on a child with ADD.  ADD kids, particularly those who are also 
hyperactive (the majority) are VERY  difficult to deal with, even if the 
parents are extraordinarily patient and understanding.  Put an ADD kid in an 
environment that is already unstable, and you've got a very, very, difficult 
situation.

Clay

    I think the admonitions in here, to make sure a child having problems
    in school getting work done and concentrating, see a learning disorders
    specialist, are totally correct.  Unfortunately many bright learning
    disabled children get through many grades because of their basic
    intelligence, but get into increasingly greater problems as they
    progress and the demands for output get more complex and time
    consuming.
    
    "Johnny was fine until the (third, fifth, seventh, etc) grade and
    then he fell apart" is a story I have personally heard from at least
    1/2 dozen folks with bright learning disabled youngsters.
    
    Schools, by themselves, often have difficulty diagnosing ADD and
    other learning disabilities, but it's worthwhile to ask the school
    to do a "comprehensive" evaluation of the child.  After they do
    the evaluation everyone in the USA has the legal right to have an
    independent evaluation done, at the expense of the school.  (These
    can easily cost over $1,000.)  This independent evaluation should
    certainly be done by a learning disorders specialist.
    
    On the issue of "environmental" causation, from all I've read learning
    disorders are neurological dysfunctions and their is clearly familial
    predisposition to these disorders.  However, neurological dysfunctions
    can also be caused by environmental poisons, like lead.

    A learning specialist will also be aware of many other less common
    causes of learning disabilities, some of which are caused by
    environmental factors.  LD is a very broad category, so it's
    important to make sure you're satisfied with the diagnosis and
    process.  If you're worried, push. 
    
    Some learning disabilities are caused by a seizure disorder, which
    I believe can be triggered by an injury to the head as well as
    being inborn.  Not sure what other causes might be.  Seizure
    disorders can cause the child to "space out" for seconds or even 
    fractions of seconds, interrupting concentration.  Such a child
    will hear the beginning of a word and the end of it, but not the
    middle, for instance.  
    
    The neurological damage done by shaking a child violently can also
    leave learning disabilities, siezure disorders, and erratic
    behavior.  
    
    There are several good clinics in Texas, for the person who just
    moved there.  What city are you in?
    
    --bonnie