Child With Attention Deficit Disorder example essay topic

Attention Deficit Disorder - Is It Myth or Reality? Attention Deficit Disorder is one of the more controversial topics for parents, educators and physicians in their efforts in identification and treatment of the disorder. Imagine your son or daughter being involved in this horrifying, grotesque, nightmarish hell. "On December 1, 1997, Michael Carneal, a fourteen-year old opened fire on students at a high school prayer meeting in West Paducah, Kentucky. Three teenagers were killed, five others were wounded, and one was paralyzed. Carneal was reportedly on Ritalin".

(Wiseman) "On March 24, 1998 in Jonesboro, Arkansas, eleven-year-old Andrew Golden and fourteen year old Mitchell Johnson shot fifteen people killing four students, one teacher, and wounding ten others. According to one report, the boys were believed to be on Ritalin". (Wiseman) This is just a few of the numerous events that the one common denominator was the use of Ritalin or other mind-altering drugs. These drugs drive some of the children who take them to acts of violence, murder, and suicide. Bruce Wiseman is one of the many who believes that Attention Deficit Disorder is widely fraudulent labeling and drugging of our nation's youth without proper identification and without trying other remedies or solutions. (Wiseman) We claim that we are a society of "Just Say No To Drugs".

Then why are there are approximately four million children on Ritalin today. (Connecting with Kids, Fox News 43, November 13, 2000) The World Health Organization and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) place Ritalin in the same category as cocaine, morphine and opium. These drugs are known to have the highest potential for abuse and are very addictive. Literature that is given to parents, does not address the abuse potential or actual abuse of methylphenidate, a generic for Ritalin. It is portrayed to be a mild substance that is not associated with abuse or serious side effects. In reality, there is scientific literature, which indicates that methylphenidate shares the same abuse potential as morphine, opium or cocaine.

There are case reports that abuse can lead to tolerance and severe psychological dependence. (a 30 page report by the Drug Enforcement Agency in 1995 entitled, "Methylphenidate") These reports are not taken seriously and in many cases not referenced at all. Therefore, the parents are not given the opportunity to make an intelligent decision based upon information mainly due to information that is very vague, general and possibly misguiding. There is no biologic, organic or scientific basis for Attention Deficit Disorder. There are no laboratory tests that have been established to detect Attention Deficit Disorder, and the panel by the National Institute of Health was not able to validate it as a disease. Therefore, how can physicians determine whether or not a child has Attention Deficit Disorder? Are physicians determining Attention Deficit Disorder by characteristics alone?

Dr. Ben Feingold has found that food additives were responsible for a significant amount of the hyperactivity seen in his practice; and that they improved dramatically when they stopped eating foods that had artificial colorings, artificial flavors, sugar and certain preservatives, or fatty acid deficiencies. This could be one reason one would be diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder. In another study, when children were put on a diet, eliminating the suspicious culprits, 79% of hyperactive children improved. When adding back the suspicious culprits, the behavior returned. (Feingold) Many believe that Attention Deficit Disorder is a myth and does not exist.

It is believed that parents do not discipline their children and Attention Deficit Disorder is the result of the non-disciplinary parent. It is also believed that many children are misdiagnosed, put on Ritalin without the proper identification of having the disorder. The end result is the violence that many of our young people are involved with over the past few years. Another view is that Attention Deficit Disorder does exist and is a reality. This view offers solutions along with the intervention of the drug Ritalin that will assist in a better outcome for the child. The diagnostic criteria of a child must display at least six of the nine symptoms for inattentiveness and six or nine symptoms for hyperactivity.

The behavior should be witnessed across multiple settings, in school, home and outside activities that the child may be involved in. (Armstrong) Dr. Thomas Armstrong has seen behavior modifications done by programs with combination of rewards, punishments, using focus and attention training techniques, teaching self-talk skills, organizational skills, using music to calm or focus, limiting television or video games to one hour versus anytime the child wants. These have proven to reduce the signs of Attention Deficit Disorder. Looking at the child's environment for emotional issues, divorce, factors that can be eliminated from diets, problems with self-esteem, and many more issues that can be the underlying issue as to why there may be behavioral issues. There are many cases where other measures were taken and results were excellent in changing behavior without the use of medicine. I have some experience with Attention Deficit Disorder with my nephew, David.

I have taken care of him periodically on the weekends and I have seen the difference in his moods and attentiveness. Without the medication he is as wild as a bull. But, when given the medication Ritalin, in my opinion, he is too calm and stares into space sometimes. I can remember taking all the kids to the beach last summer. We had given David his medication in the morning hours and headed to the beach. The other children were playing and having a good time - they tried to get David to come play and he acted as if he was in another world.

This horrified me to the point that I did not give him his second dose of medication at noon, with the consent of his parents. But on the other hand, it has drastically improved his grades and attentiveness in school. Therefore, I believe that in order to help a child with Attention Deficit Disorder, there should be the correct dosage of medication, parents should discipline the child and be consistent, teachers need to have more patience to work with these children, and there are numerous ways to improve your child's behavior and attention span without the use of drugs. When all possibilities of other remedies have been exhausted - then use the medication, but use it in moderation with other behavioral modifications. I have just learned on November 22, 2000 that I am expecting my first child.

I pray that I do not have to be faced with the dilemmas of Attention Deficit Disorder. If I am faced with Attention Deficit Disorder, I know that I will make every effort to try all remedies without using only medication to insure that my child has a healthy and normal lifestyle without being labeled as an ADD child.

Bibliography

web Attention Deficit Disorder Fox News 43, Connecting with Kids - November 13, 2000 "Medicating Kids" web Attention Deficit Disorder. ritalininthenews.