No ... The Problem of Over-Diagnosis isn't about GENUINE Cases ... It's just a Caveat ... (Think of it as getting a second or even third Opinion before undergoing Radical Surgery ... Too often, it is too EASY to Prescribe and Dispense "Medications," which ALSO can have Radical Consequences ... )

Mar 6, 2012 -- 9:35PM, Abner1 wrote:

Many years ago I had a student in basic chemistry who was obviously quite bright but completely unfocused, with the result that he ended up with a C.  We're not allowed to bring up medical issues with students, but can discuss them if the student brings them up.  He came to me during office hours and asked if I could give him any advice on how to do better in future classes.

"Yes, go get yourself checked out for ADHD."

"But I don't have ADHD."

"Want to bet?"  I then explained the symptoms to him, he went to a specialist doctor, and ended up on medication.  It turned his life around - he went from grades ranging from B's to D's to being a straight A student, then went to medical school and became a doctor.  He sent me a copy of his first research paper along with a note saying that without my advice, it never would have gotten written.

Is ADHD overdiagnosed?  Almost certainly ...  Most of the people I've seen who supposedly had ADHD were (as far as I could tell) normal teens being medicated for typical teen problems having nothing to do with any medical disorder.  But ADHD does exist, people who have seen enough cases of it can tell it from normal teen behavior, and proper medication can address it in ways that can drastically improve their lives.

It's a shame when a medical condition being "faddish" results in so many false cases that the real cases start getting doubted.

Mar 6, 2012 -- 9:42PM, mountain_man wrote:

Mar 6, 2012 -- 9:12PM, farragut wrote:

We are trying to learn. My 6yo grand-daughter is at peril of being so branded when, perhaps she suffers only from lack of structure. I do not yet know, but am deeply concerned.

I would be deeply concerned about anyone other than a trained neurologist that specialized in this area making any kind of diagnosis. I'd be deeply concerned about anyone that pushes drugs on a 6 year old.

What makes you think this is a neurologist thing?  Developmental/Behavioral pediatricians are trained in ADHD.  

I have prescribed ADHD meds to kids under 6, after an evaluation by a psychologist and often an educational consultant and a Speech pathologist as well.

OTOH, last week I got chewed out by a mother who was po'd because all of us had told her that her daughter needs some counseling, not meds.  

First off, MM, teachers DO NOT - repeat - DO NOT diagnose students for ADHD.

I am a special education (SpeEd) teacher with a Master’s of Science in Special Education, and, while I can recognize the symptoms associated with a student with ADHD, I DO NOT TELL PARENTS THEIR KIDS HAVE ADHD. 

If I were to tell parents that their kid has ADHD, I would open myself up to getting fired or worse.  Show me a teacher who has DIAGNOSED a kid with ADHD and I'll show you a teacher, a school and a school district that are WIDE OPEN for a major lawsuit by the parents – and the parents would pretty much be guaranteed to win big.

What I do is write up the ACTIONS AND BEHAVIOR PATTERNS I observe in a student when reporting Behavior in report cards or observation reports, without "labeling."  A pediatrician or neurologist reading my report will recognize those symptoms as part of a diagnosis for ADHD if the parents choose to show my report.  If a parent asks me directly if their child has ADHD, I will reply that they need to get a clinical diagnosis from a pediatrician or neurologist.

Again, TEACHERS do not go off and "label" kids as ADHD unless there is a medical diagnosis of ADHD to support it.  Not all kids with ADHD are placed in special education programs or 504 plans.  Only those kids with a confirmed diagnosis of ADHD, and whose academic progress can be shown to be DIRECTLY DETRIMENTALLY IMPACTED by the condition are placed in special education – and only if the Gen Ed teacher, the SpeEd teacher, the school nurse, the administrator, and the parents ALL agree in writing to that effect.

This BTW applies to ALL schools in ALL fifty states in the Union, as regulated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, amended 2004 (IDEA-04).

Mar 6, 2012 -- 9:12PM, farragut wrote:

We are trying to learn. My 6yo grand-daughter is at peril of being so branded when, perhaps she suffers only from lack of structure. I do not yet know, but am deeply concerned.

Is she having serious trouble in school?  Is this causing her to fall seriously behind with her peers?  If she's getting by in school, I'd leave it alone (all kids seem to lack structure in varying degrees depending on age), but if she's having REAL trouble in school, this is where I might advise you to go see a doctor about it.

BTW how far can a kid fall behind when she's only six and just starting out?  Not very far.

Mar 6, 2012 -- 9:12PM, farragut wrote:

 "most ADHD cases are bogus anyway"

BTW this is somebody's opinion and NOT a factual statement.

This Problem of over-Diagnosis is Part, IMHO, of a broader and deeper Problem in Western Socety in general, i.e., The Medicalization of Ordinary Life, in which ANYTHING that departs significantly from The Norm is regarded as somehow "Pathology" that requires "Medication" ...