you nailed it!

I agree. I think that what has caused a "rise" in the incidence of ADHD as much as anything is the increase in "experts" in the field and the broadening of the definition of what is ADHD. A child that daydreams or doesn't do homework may be a bright child that is bored with the pace of the class. Several class clowns that immediately come to mind are Robin Williams, Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor. Martin has the IQ of a genius. I'll bet not one of his teachers could handle him. It would have been a travesty to medicate any one of them (although some of them DID medicate themselves).

If you are an expert in a field and want to become famous, just keep discovering new cases. The easiest way to do that is to broaden the definition of whatever it is that you are looking for and hope that the public in general and the federal government in particular, rewards you by throwing more money your way.

Indeed. It makes any kid much easier to control when you pump their body full of amphetamines. Turns them into mindless homework doing, falling in line drones. Honestly I believe knowingly giving your child the drugs for this disease should be a felony and result in people losing their kids.

I wish the article would have addressed how many of these other studies they looked at were sponsored in any way by the companies that make the drugs prescribed for ADHD.

Ahhh yes. Right on schedule, out come the armchair scientists that are just oh-so-sure that they know more than highly trained professionals.

For anyone willing to consider the substantial evidence supporting ADHD as a diagnosis, here are some links:

http://www.russellbarkley.org/content/Consensus2002.pdf

http://www.help4adhd.org/en/about/myths

http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16812 (This is a message board post but it cites reliable sources.

Cue the increased profits for big pharma!

ADD and ADHD are real conditions. The way to treat them is not with drugs but rather nutrition. I have ADD and I treat it with good nutrition and certain food supplements. If I forget to take the supplements the ADD comes back. If I take the supplements, it goes away. The condition is basically a deficiency disease caused by a lack of micro-nutrients.

Just because drugs are a poor way to treat the conditions doesn't mean that ADD and ADHD do not exist. If you had a broken arm and it was recommended that you visit a witch doctor to chant over it and sprinkle it with "magic herbs" would that mean that you don't have a broken arm? Of course not! What you need is the arm properly set and put in a cast, some painkillers in the short term and a healthy diet while the arm heals.

I can easily believe that 1 in 10 American children have ADHD or ADD because 90% of American children have nutritionally impoverished diets. They are fed far too much of all the wrong things. The epidemic of obesity in children is further evidence of the problem.

Ahhh yes. Right on schedule, out come the armchair scientists that are just oh-so-sure that they know more than highly trained professionals.

Your so-called "trained professionals" have done themselves in by their improper unethical and criminal relationships to the pharma industry.

They have no one to blame for the publics awareness of these crimes but their own greed.

Therapist admits ADD/ADHD mis-diagnosis may be tied to marketing

The Illusions of Psychiatry, the APA & the DSM

Generations of Kids Hooked on Psychiatric Drugs & Treatments

CNN exposes children as target & markets for pharma & psychiatry

How Big Pharma Pushes Bad Meds On Little Kids

Pharmageddon: Prescription drugs are killing America's youth

Kids with`ADHD' being caged by drugs, Thornbury photographer says

Antipsychotics Have Dramatic Consequences in Kids, Study Shows - ParentDish

Today it is called ADHD, there was a time not long ago when it was called "... just being a kid"

Stand and Deliver

I wish the article would have addressed how many of these other studies they looked at were sponsored in any way by the companies that make the drugs prescribed for ADHD.

Actually that information is available. Most peer-reviewed journals require authors to declare whether or not they have financial conflicts of interest of the kind you refer to.

It should be pointed out that ADHD is often diagnosed by clinical, developmental psychologists. That's important because psychologists are not allowed to prescribe medication (psychiatrists can because they have an MD degree). It's hard to argue that these psychologists have some hidden agenda to help drug companies when they have nothing whatever to do with prescribing medication.

I suppose one could claim that drug companies are somehow bribing many thousands of clinical psychologists around the world to overdiagnose the disorder but I don't there is enough tin foil in the world to make a hat big enough for that conspiracy theory.

With all the junk they put in our food supply I wouldnt be surpirsed if our kids got more then just ADHD. You noitce our kids have been developing alot more cases of autism too?

perhaps if the government got out of our lives we could raise them right without the governments interference. Half the trouble is our kids threaten to call cps everytime we talk wrong and they no we cant do anything now days to keep them under control. Then we get held responsible for their behavior due to lack of proper discipline...you can punish your child without beating them to death despite the governments interpretation of discipline...I never saw a time out do squat..but a spanking is another story.

BTW- of the 3 sources you site in #1.5 above...

2 are CHADD a known pharma funded front group under the auspices of a "support group".

and the 2002 "Consensus..." freely quotes and uses as a resource this "trained professional".

"Dr" Joseph Biedermann, recently reprimanded AND BANNED FROM PUBLISHING for accepting more than One MILLION US $$ from pharma companies while running one of your "peer reviewed" studies.

Harvard Psychiatrists Disciplined for Conflicts of Interest

I wonder how many more of the co-signators to the 2002 Consensus were on the pharma pay-roll. And for how much $$.

This article is such a load of crap. ADD/ADHD is the most over-diagnosed condition on the planet among children. Just because a kid is a little restless and bored in class does not mean he has ADHD. It may be that the teacher sucks and does not know how to do their job and keep the children engaged. Lazy teachers brand perfectly normal kids as ADHD and then get the school district to tell the parent to medicate the kid or they will be expelled. Medicating these kids into submission is not the answer to the problem of a poor teacher. Some teachers just should not be teaching younger children. They do not have the patience or the skills to keep young children engaged and should be left to teach older children. In addition, parents who fail to teach their kids discipline and manners and let them get away with anything make things harder for teachers who then have to deal with their poor behavior in the classroom.

I think that the study that puts the prevalence at 3 to 5 percent is far more believable than the one putting it at 10 percent although I think even the 3 to 5 percent may still be high due to over-diagnoses. Some children tend to be a little more hyperactive than others, it is a perfectly normal part of growing up. These children are not ADHD and will outgrow this phase without the need to be medicated into submission. In addition, many of the kids that get branded as ADHD are just brighter than their peers and get bored with the slow pace of classes. All it takes to deal with these kids is a little patience and an ability to focus that energy.

Parents are far too willing to believe teachers and shove pills down their kids throats. They do not want their child branded as a problem by the school so they agree to medicate them into submission. We are just now starting to learn about the long term psychological effects of medications like Ritalin and Adderall that are given to kids branded as ADHD. It is starting to appear that putting kids on these drugs at a young age does permanent psychological damage and causes problems for these kids later in life, not to mention what it can do to them while they are on the drugs as kids. Anyone considering putting their kids on any of these ADHD drugs should read up on the potential side effects of these drugs. If this does not scare you into keeping your kids off these drugs, I do not know what will.

With all the junk they put in our food supply I wouldnt be surpirsed if our kids got more then just ADHD. You noitce our kids have been developing alot more cases of autism too?

Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner! Do ADHD and autism exist? Of course, and medication can be warranted in those situations. There are no absolutes in medicine. But I'd put money on the theory that the vast majority of these cases (for both conditions) are a result of the chemicals in our food supply. We're not meant to get our dinners from a laboratory.

Since getting the food industry to admit that their products are harmful is about as likely as encountering a unicorn vomiting rainbows, we need to somehow lower the prices and increase availability of organic foods. Plenty of conscious, loving, and well-meaning parents have no choice but to feed their kids chemical-laden junk because that's all they can afford or because that's all that's available in their area. We need to fix this.

ADHD is an excuse for poor parenting period... hyper with no attention span...I have yet to meet a child, that if you spend QUALITY time with, they are HYPER and have no attention.

Feed them the xbox and playstation some more as a babysitter replacement and this is what you can expect. This is just ONE example.

take2la, I wouldn't say anything about anyone else's sources, considering that your little collection of links includes things like a link to a picture taken by a photographer. ROFL

Actually, the value of my links comes from the scientific data reported and the citations provided. In fact, I said that in my original post. Let's consider the CHAAD link that you dismissed out of hand. That link included the following text:

Studies show that children with ADHD have higher rates of other psychiatric disorders, higher frequency of hospitalizations, emergency room visits and total medical costs compared to individuals without ADHD (Liebson et al., 2001).

Adolescent outcomes of children with ADHD show that they are more likely to drop out of school, to rarely complete college, to have fewer friends and to participate in antisocial activities more than children without ADHD (Barkley, Fischer, Edelbrock, & Smallish, 1990). Rates of cigarette, alcohol and marijuana use appear more often in those with both ADHD and conduct disorders, and were two to five times more frequent than in adolescents with ADHD alone or for those without it. Later in life, adults with ADHD have employment difficulties, suffer from depression and personality disorders, have multiple auto accidents, and have high rates of sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancies compared to individuals without ADHD (Fischer, Barkley, Smallish, & Fletcher, 2002). Overwhelming evidence suggests that ADHD is a real disorder with serious consequences.

Of course, you had nothing whatever to say about the substantial scientific evidence presented in that link. Nor did you have anything whatsoever to say about the data presented in the consensus statement. Why? I'd say it's because you've never even READ the peer-reviewed papers cited.

For example, what do you have to say about the fMRI data comparing frontal cortical activity in persons with ADHD to normal controls? What do you have to say about the anatomical data that show measurable differences in the sizes of relevant brain areas in persons with ADHD and normal controls? What do you have to say about the oculomotor studies that showed that persons diagnosed with ADHD responded in radically different ways on a countermanding task than normal controls (in fact, the distributions did not even overlap)? Of course, you have no idea what I'm talking about because you haven't read these papers. (I can almost hear you rushing to google all of this hoping to find more random websites to support your case.)

Anyone can google a topic and find links to support virtually any position on virtually any topic. The fact that your little collection of links includes a link to picture taken by a photographer is uproariously funny. The question, of course, is whether or not the links are to sites authored by someone that knows what he is talking about.

Do you SERIOUSLY believe that thousands of clinical psychologists around the world are deliberately diagnosing kids with ADHD just to help pharmaceutical companies? Why would they do that, considering that psychologists can't even prescribe medication in the first place? The notion that BigPharma is somehow bribing ALL of these psychologists to overdiagnose the disorder is a conspiracy theory of laughable proportions.

I don't doubt that there are doctors out there that have taken money from BigPharma to "encourage" them to diagnose the disorder more often. There are police officers out there that accept bribes, too, but that doesn't mean one should mindlessly dismiss a consensus statement that reflects the views of thousands of law enforcement officers. In terms of BigPharma paying for ADHD research, the important question is whether or not such a practice is widespread enough to cast doubt on the validity of the disorder.

As I said above, most peer reviewed journals require authors to declare any financial conflicts of interest. The validity of ADHD as a diagnosis is supported by literally thousands of peer-reviewed papers that were NOT funded in any way by BigPharma and that had no conflicts of interest at all. Of course, you wouldn't know that because you haven't read those papers. You're too busy getting your information about ADHD from photographers.

ADHD cannot be confirmed by brain scan or blood test, etc.. Since there isn’t a biomarker for ADHD, you can always “claim” that your kid has all these symptoms. Some of my son’s friends, perfectly normal, are buying black market ADHD medicine so they can concentrate on studying and make better grade on the tests. If there is a need at black market, the rate of ADHD will go up. This probably is the reason why ADHD rate are very different at western states,

Read up, or research up. ADHD can be confirmed by a brain scan. If you lived in the world of dealing with ADHD you would know that.

No such thing as autism, or Turret's, or bi-polar, or manic depression, either?

There are abuses of many medications by many people.. but don't criticize or label the people who truly have these conditons. These are day by day struggles you have no clue of.

I should have said ADHD is not diagnosed via brain scan or blood test. It is diagnosed by a psychiatric assessment so you can always “claim” that your kid has all these symptoms.

ADHD medications like Ritalin work paradoxically, so if a kid who does not truly have ADHD is using these medications, they are not getting the same (therapeutic) effect. They're basically using speed in the same way truck drivers used to in the 70's when amphetamines were offered over-the-counter. Pretty frightening when you think about it.

Of course, you had nothing whatever to say about the substantial scientific evidence presented in that link. Nor did you have anything whatsoever to say about the data presented in the consensus statement. Why?

FIrst off, its quite obvious I DO read the links as I found that your "Consensus.." was largely influenced by Biedermann and his tainted studies as well as the APA party line "data" ( much of it from equally tainted sources) on the CHADD website you linked to.

What you and your colleague "trained professionals" always seem to miss ( or perhaps...choose to minimize, bury and pretend it doesn't exist) is THE FACT THAT THE MERE PRESENCE OF PHARMA MONEY CALLS INTO SERIOUS QUESTION EVERYTHING THESE "studies" CLAIM.

Pharma has a VESTED INTEREST IN PROMOTING ADD/ADHD "treatments".

Otherwise they wouldn't have funded the CHADD (and many other "support") type websites and groups.

Since the 2002 "Consensus..." (and other such APA position papers) THE INCIDENCE OF ADD/ADHD DIAGNOSIS HAS RISEN MORE THAN 40X.

If you want to talk about CAUSATIVE LINKS lets talk about that one.

on falsifying "study" data and promoting "diseases

American Psychiatric Association's Conflicts of Interest

Top 50 Psychiatrists Paid By Pharma

Doctors draw payments from drug companies-search for your doctor

Nearly Impossible to find untainted pharmacological Studies

How Pharma Can Skew Drug Trial Results

Drug Maker Wrote Book Under 2 Doctors' Names, Documents Say

Medical Editors Push for Pharma Ghostwriting Crackdown

Shrinks for sale doing "educational" drug speeches for Eli Lilly

on documented pharma funded "support" groups

NAMI promotes ECT for pregnant depression sufferers

Whistleblower called "NAMI a pharma front group 'Trojan Horse' "

Pharma funds 3/4 of NAMI budget

Drug-Company Tweeting: Still Awaiting FDA Rules

on ADHD (or not)

ADHD's rapid rise: 5 theories and 1 cause

The New Child Abuse: The Psychiatric Diagnosing and Drugging of Our Children

ADHD or Einstein, Edison, Beethoven, Caruso, and Churchill???

Your Kids Aren't Sick

I hope you & enjoyed the ride (and bought GOLD) 'cause the pharma gravytrain is about the jump the tracks.

AND YOU CAN THANK YOUR APA COLLEAGUES ("TRAINED PROFESSIONALS") FOR THAT.

When I was in 1st grade back in the 1970s, the (very intolerant) teacher had a meeting with my mother telling her I was hyperactive and that my mom should consider talking to a doctor to put me on medications. Heres the kicker - standardized federal tests were given back then and I scored in the top 2% for IQ in my age bracket. My mom was called in again, this time by the principal to tell her she had a gifted child on her hands! My hyperactivity was more a result of me being very precocious, insatiably curious, and having a mind that was intellectually - racing far ahead of my classmates.

My mother refused to put me on medication, feeling that I was a normal active kid, wanting to explore the world, and engage in it. I was lucky in that I did not have a regimented upbringing. I got to explore the woods, and to spend long summer days running about the neighborhood playing with friends. I had a toy chest of favorite toys and not a room smothered in cutesy things that were never touched. I was not forced to take extracurriculars.

If I were 7 years old today, I would have been diagnosed with scary "ADHD" and that "scary" name probably would have compelled my mom and dad to look into those drugs.

Too many ADHD kids are normal kids, and GIFTED kids. It even says it in the article - that today's academic setting is more demanding of children. Perhaps - and this is just a craaazy thought... its TOO demanding...? Kids need to be kids. They need to run and explore and engage in the world, and not via a glowing screen. They need their summers, and they need those impromptu neighborhood games of hide and seek, or baseball, or riding around on Big Wheels. Enough with the turning kids into little adults.

A big problem today, is that too often, mom isn't even around to be that anchor of security at home. No longer do kids run home when the streetlights come on. They are either kept in the home like little prisoners, or allowed to run rampant with few boundaries like Lord of the Flies.

This push to diagnose kids with something is another sign of a dysfunctional society. The family unit is dysfunctional. And corporate/pharma America WANTS it that way - so they can sell us "stuff" that we desperately consume to attempt to fill the gaping holes caused by this societal disaster.

Overworked, exhausted parents are secretly glad (I've seen it) when the child gets a diagnosis like this. Because then they can dismiss a child's acting out as a medical problem rather than a problem of upbringing. Children in unstable situations, in harried families where mom is exhausted and just rushing from task to task - are GOING to act out.

We are living in pretty sad times. I hope things change soon. The whole society is sick. broke. anxiety-stricken.

Strengthinnumbers: I think your story is repeated over and over. I agree with you. I grew up in the 50's and 60's. I got paddled for not paying attention and was sent to the principal a couple of times but I feel very fortunate to have never been placed on meds. I know that there are children that have legitimate reasons for ADHD. I have little doubt that proper diet helps a lot of children. If you want to see a 7 year old boy suddenly develop ADHD just load him with 4 or 5 Coca Colas in an couple of hours on a hot day. Talk about wired! There are children who really have learning disorders/ADHD but far too many bright children are labeled with it because they are bored and being held back by one-size-fits-all education systems.

Adhd is not just active or hyperactive kids. It seriously affects executive function. Your brain can't sort all the activity going on around you. Everything competes for your attention. The clock on the other side of the classroom that no-one else even notices is as loud as the teacher lecturing in front of the class. The sound of your pencil on paper is extremely annoying. The brain does not have the ability to filter what would be considered backgound noise by your average person. Everything competes for your attention while your brain is going 100 miles an hour. That is how my son describes it to me before he started medication. His personality has not changed, he's not a zombie, but he can focus on what the teacher is saying now.

Thats so cool...but I'm curious

In a recent survey, 1 in 10 Adults said they get theirnews from MSNBC exclusively...coincidence, I don't think so

"I can easily believe that 1 in 10 American children have ADHD or ADD because 90% of American children have nutritionally impoverished diets. They are fed far too much of all the wrong things. The epidemic of obesity in children is further evidence of the problem."

If 90% of American children have nutritionally improverished diets and this was the cause for ADHD and ADD wouldn't we see more than 1 out of 10 kids with the problem?

And the "epidemic" of obesity in children is they don't go outside and PLAY. If they go home and sit on their butts in front of a TV playing video games what's going to happen in the long run? Kids are built to eat foods high in carbs and sugar and whatnot because they are made to get out and burn it off.

Pharmaceutical companies are chanting:

medicate, medicate medicate

I was cured of ADHD... I was given chores.
I also wasn't allowed more than two hours of TV a day (and never if the sun was shining).
Heck, I couldn't play my Atari 2600 (THE dream machine for a 9 year-old back in the day) during summer vacation between when I woke up and when the street lights came on!

Kids need to be kids. Do *some* kids need ADHD medication? Yeah, probably. Maybe 1 in 100 or 1 in 50... but 10% of all American kids? No way!

Experts no doubt paid for by Big Pharma. This government morons are the ones who have ADHD and should be drugged into submission.

You don't know what you're talking about unless you've walked in the shoes. One of my young kids has Type 1 diabetes, ADHD, depression, hears voices and sees thing that aren't there. With medication and a small class size, he is excelling at school. He never "bounced off the walls". He doesn't take amphetimines for the ADHD. He takes Straterra instead. A child that does NOT have ADHD and starts taking Ritalin etc. may very well START bouncing off the walls. The meds work only when there is a true need for them. And I've yet to see a kind on meds for ADHD that acted "doped up". The anti-psychotic meds are vital to some kids, but definintely should not be given without a lot of thought and definite need. What some of you need to realize is kids who don't get these meds when needed are at a high risk of suicide. Sometimes the psych meds are every bit as necessary as insulin for the diabetic. Sure there is going to be some overdiagnosing of ADHD, but please don't trivialize the medical and psychological help that some kids need.

Right on schedule, out come the armchair scientists that are just oh-so-sure that they know more than highly trained professionals.

That's is why they call it "practicing" medicine. "Highly Trained" is relative!

There's no doubt ADHD is real and many people suffer from it. My problem is that it's used as a crutch for poor parenting or poor teachers. My wife used to be a teacher and a few of her kids were ADHD but not on meds. With a little extra attention and effort on her part she was able to get these kids to listen and learn.

Yet another vote for Norplant........

Do you know how offensive this is to us dealing with ADHD on a daily basis? Have you dealt with ADHD on a daily basis? It's hell. I'm far from a permissive parent. Established firm standards/expectations and followed them consistently. Did everything in our power to control our son's behavior but the fact is, his brain is made differently than other kids. He can't control his body and it took us years to accept that. It's agonizing watching your child suffer through this condition, especially when people are spewing hatred like this.

Amen to CAWriterMom! It's sad that so many are so quick to judge our parenting skills,etc.

I thought about giving concrete examples of how ADD meds have helped our children but the naysayers on this board don't seem to have minds that are open to good information.

Just curious---would you folks rant and rave to someone who's kid had Type 1 diabetes? or some other chronic condition?

Walk a mile in our shoes and then you'll have something to say worth listening to...

CAWriter, I understand from watching my grandson. My son and daughter-in-law made dietary changes before thinking about drugs and saw a vast improvement. Eliminating wheat worked, with improvement showing at 3 months and more so at 6 months. No drugs used or needed and they are 5 years into doing this. He's 11 now and a straight A+ student, as well as an All Star baseball player and also plays basketball.

Dietary changes work for some kids, but not for other kids. My sister and I both have ADHD (I think my father did as well, but I will never know for sure). My sister was diagnosed as a child, and dietary changes eliminated some behaviors, but not all.

I wasn't diagnosed until well into college with ADHD - inattentive type, what used to just be called ADD. I have noted no changes in attentiveness compared to diet, although I am more tired when I eat no carbs. The problem isn't the energy levels of these people, though, not even with the extremely hyperactive children.

ADHD is a developmental disorder that causes a young person's brain to be understimulated by the environment. The symptoms are almost identical to sleep deprivation. Children act out not because they are overly energetic, but instead because they are unconsciously trying to "keep awake." The normal stimulation of everyday life is not enough to keep them attentive, even though they try. It is as though they are bored all the time, and that may be how they describe it, if you ask. It is a physical condition.

Activities that cause constant stimulation are best loved by ADHD children. Sports, action video games, reading (believe it or not), anything that gives a constant, in-your-face stimulation is compelling.

Because of these reasons, ADHD patients are usually proscribed stimulants. These have the effect of bringing the patient's brain up to the normal, expected level of attentiveness, which paradoxically causes the child to slow down. Why? His brain is no longer having trouble "keeping awake." If the patient has trouble sleeping, depressants may also be prescribed.

My psychologist talked with me about self-medication when I finally broke down and sought help during college (which was an absolute nightmare by the way). At the time, I was drinking about 8 cans of caffeinated soda a day. Guess what? Caffeine is a stimulant! When I later saw a psychiatrist and went on medication, my consumption dropped down to one can. Sometimes, I drank none. I made no conscious decision to drop the habit.

The time that I was on medication was very good for me. I was able to concentrate for long periods of time, start tasks and finish them reliably, listen for the full duration of a conversation, and remember details and tasks. You know, the kind of things normal people do. Sadly, the medication I was given also made me sick, and I made the decision that I could manage my life without it. I mostly do all right. Mostly.

I thought I should add two things real quick: Yes, that was a super long post. I windowed out a few times and bothered the cats. Ha!

Also, I am stuck on the idea that ADHD is caused by a combination of genetics and something that our parents and/or grandparents were exposed to in the environment. There are a lot of chemicals floating around in the air, and in our foods, then there were 100 years ago, and I don't think it is a coincidence that this type of disorder used to be a lot less common. This is true of other disorders - for example, incidents of Parkinson's Disease are much more common around certain industries. If I remember correctly, those are agricultural areas and paper mills.

I don't think it is only the changes in society making ADHD more evident, although that probably has something to do with it as well. Kids will be kids, and the majority of ADHD patients grow out of it. Some of them, like me and my sister, do not.

hwilson, didn't mean to imply that diet is the answer for everyone. Just a suggestion of something to try before going with medication.

I have no doubt that there are legitimate cases of ADHD, and that those children need treatment of some sort. I also have no doubt that some children receive little or no parenting that would help the child with a milder case, or perhaps the child that does not have ADHD but is just an active child that needs direction. How many of us "older" folks remember our parents directives - will you sit still, sit and eat your dinner, sit down and do your home work, use your indoor voice, stop fidgeting and so on. I suspect that consistent discipline, given with a dose of love, would help a lot of these kids. Probably won't happen though, when parents aren't home, parents and teachers are limited in discipline options, or the parent just isn't involved enough to bother with their child - especially if the child is difficult and it's just easier to give the kid a pill.

John, the only problem with your theory is that the worst parents (or sometimes just the poorest parents) are probably NOT taking their kids to doctors or getting evaluations, so their kids that MIGHT need treatment aren't getting it. Drug use by mom's (including alcohol) before and during pregnancy are setting up a large portion of kids to have developmental delays, ADHD etc. Dad's drug or alcohol use might affect the baby as well. It's true that parents don't have a "right" to even spank these days, but that won't change the way a true ADHD kid behaves anyway. If a kid really has ADHD, just the meds won't solve the problem. The parents still have to work hard to provide structure and support. It doesn't get us off the hook by any means.

I have 3 children and only one is diagnosed with ADHD. You can ask my kids how permissive I am - I am very strict. You have to be when you have a child with ADHD. It is a lot of work managing a child with ADHD

and doctors and drug companies coming out with new and very expensive drugs which need patients. a permissive genreation created an out of control generation

Oh they do..the government has just tied their hands.

It's not a question of "just being a parent". I have a relative who has ADD. The dad tried to beat it out of him...turns out you can't. This was back before Ritalin. The person has grown up , holds down a job, owns a house -- but has never married and does not have a romantic relationship with anyone. Unlike this person's two siblings, who did not have ADD.

Super strict parenting can create lasting damage, and it won't cure ADD, either. What helps is consistent firm parenting --and Ritalin.

I don't think that was super strict parenting, that was child abuse (if you are trying to "beat it out of him").

In kids who truly have ADHD, the more strict you get the worse they get. My husband thought our son just needed more discipline, it had the opposite effect. The stricter we got, the worse he got. He developed oppositional defiant disorder. With proper diagnosis and counseling for the family, things have vastly improved.

bmx -- I think it's more a case of choosing your battles. Nit picking definitely doesn't work. I've seen parents comment on every single bite of food a kid took (why didn't you take a bite of that, that bite is too big) on and on ad nauseum trying to control the kid. Things like that make the kid MUCH worse. You definitely have to find the positive side of your kid and encourage that talent and behavior rather than always being negative. If he tells you to "shut up" in the evening but had no negative behavior at school for the day and made an A or B on a test, look at the bright side and don't make a federal case of of his rudeness. Remind him that's rude and move on. People on the outside looking in may think you're a woosy for not tearing into the kid, but who cares what they think? It's not their life. And if your ADHD kid figures out being rude can drive you up a wall, he will do it every day. You've got to find that balance and it usually take a few professionals to help you do that. I'm glad there is improvement for your family.

Granny, thanks for the advice. We did seek professional help and they helped my husband to see that his negativity and nit picking was part of the problem. He still thinks I'm too soft and let him get away with things, but I learned along time ago to pick my battles with my son. My husband was away much of the time in the military so he had not had the benefit of the knowledge I gained through books on behavior modification. He has learned to deal differently with our son now and not nearly as many arguments and he has learned how to disengage and let it go. Things aren't perfect, but they are livable.

I think you are looking for "couldn't care less"

If they could care less, it means they care some now, but could care less if they tried. Pet peeve of mine, sorry.

I also like how the numbers don't add up to 10 in 10.

Rob, that's because the stupid love to call other people stupid. Sigmund Freud called the phenomenon "projection". Projection means that you blame other people for having your own neurosis or character faults: The angry man complains that other people are too irritable, the fearful man accuses others of being paranoid and the stupid man calls others stupid.

I have noticed that 11 out of 10 stupid people tend to do this. LOL!

I have noticed that 11 out of 10 stupid people tend to do this. LOL!

ROFL

How arrogant must one be to think that, even with no relevant professional training at all and no clinical experience, one knows more about ADHD than thousands of training clinicians around the world?

It's called common sense Junicon...... something you apparently lack.

Junicon, most people studying ADHD are not scientists by any stretch of the imagination. Clinicians are just that, trained in the process of clinical studies. They are merely gather data, which may or may have any bias attached, and guessing at what it all means.

How do you know that, Rick? A quick search on Google Scholar for "ADHD Pubmed Neurology" alone turns up over 6,000 hits. (And over 1,000 if you do "ADHD Pubmed ganglia"). That's sure a whole lot of neurological science papers being published by nonscientists.

#5.1

--How arrogant must one be to think that, even with no relevant professional training at all and no clinical experience, one knows more about ADHD than thousands of training clinicians around the world?

• #5.3

  Clinicians are just that, trained in the process of clinical studies.

  ...and "trained" in the GOLDEN RULE Junicon.

  Or did you forget that one too?

  THE GOLDEN RULE: HE WHO HAS THE GOLD MAKES THE RULES (or the study findings")

Then you really do not understand the diagnostic process. There is a lot of family history involved since it is genetic. With my daughter is comes down her organization, lack of focus, time management..... I am able to help her through behavior modification and structure to help her impulsiveness.... However, it does not matter what I do as a parent - I can not help her focus. She needs medications for that. The best treatment for ADHD is behavior therapy and meds combined. Hopefully my daughter will not need meds in a few years.

MOM! Gimme more sugar! MOM! Gimme more processed food! MOM! Gimme more red dye #3! MOM! Gimme a new iPhone! MOM! Do it or I'll scream child abuse!

As my mother always said, "I'll GIVE you something to scream about!"

Ah yes Granny, the "natural" remedy for ADHD! It worked for my generation!

yep, and the same ones whining when little johnny is still living at home at the age of 30....

Do any of you "people" have a child with a disorder my son has asperger's syndrome which is like ADHD on crack and it is no fn fun to have to yell at him all the time it's not his fault and it's not my fault he can't understand why he can't do anything he wants it's very taxing on the whole family not to mention himself you "people" have no right to subject other people who actually have disorders to any inquisition.You people are the disorder you don't have any helpful idea's because you don't have any frame of reference!!!!SO shut your fat mouths get off your fat butts and help someone for once! You haven't a clue what you are talking about Oh and you MR hillbilly guy The big pharma companie's make it harder to cure this than not to.They keep getting dr.s to push their new meds that seem to only make the situation worse so there's your money you need to get out more!!! gay 678 i mean jay678 have nyou ever been laid i think not so you don't have to worry about having a child in the first place so ease you roll bitch and get off your mom's computer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HillbillyGuy - Socioeconomics can play a role in the overdiagnosis (or, more accurately, misdiagnosis) of ADHD because, and this is just a theory of mine, a lot of children diagnosed with ADHD are actually reacting to the chemicals that plague our food supply. I elaborated on this in an earlier comment, but organic food is much more expensive and more difficult to find (especially in poor, urban areas). There are a lot of loving parents who have no choice but to feed their children this chemical junk because that's all they can afford or because that's all that's available in their area. Beggars can't be choosers. I'd eat a mostly organic diet if I could afford to. But I can't. It doesn't mean I don't care about my health. But you have to eat something, you know?

Also, people of limited financial means may not have the resources to seek opinions from other physicians about their child's diagnosis.

Easy there, nonfollower. Your little rant there might be fueled by your own disorder.

If your son has Asperger's and you describe it as "like ADHD on crack" you very likely have a misdiagnosis. And you should never yell at a kid with Asperger's' -- that will always be counterproductive if the diagnosis is valid.

Aspergers - the designer mental illness of today. A decade ago, it was rare. Now every shy kid has aspergers. I have seen REAL aspergers. It is bizarre. It is a true form of autism. Without exception, TRUE cases of Aspergers will obsess over one thing - usually a very technical thing. They must learn all that there is to know about that thing. They will entirely submerse themselves in that thing, at the expense of social activity. They shy away from people, are very awkward in social situations. They tend to be very brilliant, but insult people because they don't have a grasp of how to interact with people.

They will obsess about a thing, and then after some time, abandon it almost completely and move on to a new thing to learn about in great detail. There tends to be a high incidence of Aspergers individuals in High Tech.

You know when you are dealing with an Aspergers syndrome individual. You know something just isn't quite right with that person. I've interacted with only one Asperger's person, and wow. It was very strange. The man was brilliant, but I could not have a give and take conversation with him on anything. The only thing he was capable of talking about was the current obsession, nothing more. When he was away from that obsession, he was irritable, short, grumpy. He had a distracted quality about him - as though his body was there, but his mind was busily working out some problem.

THAT is aspergers.

I have interacted with a number of Aspergers children during the course of my work as a public librarian. You really nailed it, StrengthInNumbers. When you are dealing with an Aspergers individual, you KNOW. These individuals are distinctly and absolutely different than the norm.

To clarify, while I occasionally find Aspergers individuals frustrating to serve, the only problem that I have with them is a very librarianish one. Aspergers kids don't seem to have any volume control. :p

Megidolian, you hit the nail on the head. ADHD is believed to be genetic, but also influenced by environment. There has been a good bit of research that shows certain food dyes and artificial ingredients can exacerbate the symptoms and much higher levels of certain pesticides have been found in ADHD kids. I have two children with Adhd and have gone organic. It does cost more but I do alot of meal planning to try and cut the cost.

If you aren't familiar with Asperger's watch the character Sheldon in "The Big Bang Theory". He's a pretty good comparison. And yes, you know one in real life when you meet them. It's real. Everything is taken literally and they will tell you how they view things even if it's very rude. Just the facts, ma'm. For some reason the Civil War and trains seem to be a common obsession at least for the boys. You have to learn to appreciate them for who they are because they may never be good at social situations (though some training often helps). I don't know of anyone who would jump at the chance to label their kids with Asperger's and dope them up. If anything parents usually spend too much time questioning their own sanity before they seek help and get a proper diagnosis. ADHD is sometimes a convenient excuse, but no one wants their kid to be labeled autistic unless it really applies.

I absolutely agree.

"Friend" is not in the definition of parent, and definitely not until about the age of 20 or 21. Yes, as a parent you can enjoy spending time with your child doing various things, but this is not 'friendship' like you would with people Your Own Age. In the term 'parent' I see words like guide, teacher, leader, healer, nurse, diplomat, negotiator, guardian, protector, choice-maker, at some points even dictator, but I do not see the word 'friend'. As I child, I definitely did not consider my parents my 'friend', they were my parents. Yes, I enjoyed spending time with them. In particular, I remember going for walks with my dad to the park where he would push me on the swings for pretty much as long as I liked while we talked or sang together. I remember sewing with my mom and baking, often on sunday afternoons when both my dad and older sister were at work. My mom was also the one who accompanied me to music lessons, first Music for Young Children classes when I was little (4-8) and then onto private piano lessons and later flute lessons and orchestra rehearsal for years. My parents were not perfect, and I do disagree with some of the things they did, but the good that they did outweighs the negatives. Much of how they raised me is how I will raise my own children should I have kids...including starting chores as soon as they are able (ie toddler helps pick up toys or put their laundry in the hamper, three year old can probably set table or help sort laundry etc etc...). And I think I will likely follow my parent's lead and not have much television and DEFINITELY no video or computer games. There were, in fact, several years around elementary/middle school when I barely watched tv (likely inbetween the Mister Roger's years and the Lizzie McGuire years). Instead, I read thousands of books, rode my bike just as much, loved the rings and swings at the playground (I still enjoy them), learned how to bake and cook before I hit double digits in age, played with dolls for years, and helped keep the house clean. I never had a problem focusing in class, am still on the Deans Honour list going into my fourth year, and although I live at home still, I am just an equal partner in the care of the house. I make meals, do laundry and other cleaning things etc etc. And yes, I use the word 'etc' a bit too much.

Shoarn: My youngest son has ADHD. Our family situation is NOTHING like what you would are depicting. He is disciplined, is taught manners and respect; I am his parent - not his friend.

We do keep a very set schedule. He wakes up the same day every single day - whether he has school or not. We all eat a very well balanced diet. In fact, I pretty much have to cook everything from scratch due to food allergies. We eat dinner together as a family every night - no tv or other electronics are permitted during dinner. My kids do have a PS3 - it rarely gets used (in fact, it gets used more as a Blu-Ray player for family movie nights that we have occasionally). He has chores that he is responsible for everyday - when he was very young, I had to help him do all of them, as he has gotten a bit older, he requires my help less and less. He is expected to behave in public and at home. He spends the vast majority of free time outside playing (even in the winters and we live in an area that gets a lot of lake effect snow). He is also involved in activities that allow him to expend a lot of energy - he goes to Tae Kwon Do 3x/week, he played baseball this summer, and wants to do fall league. He goes to bed at the same time every night - whether a school night or not. We also have a very structured bedtime routine, not just the time.

If he breaks any rules he is consistently disciplined. One of the best way to discipline him is to remove privileges when he misbehaves, fails to do his chores, makes bad choices, etc.

I avoided using medication for his ADHD as long as possible. Instead we opted to review his diet - there wasn't anything offending in his diet, so no changes there. After that we also introduced some self-awareness and focus exercises. These have helped, but weren't enough. We still do these exercises, but have added low dose medications (he's actually on nearly the lowest dose available for his medication). This combination is working.

One of the biggest problems with his ADHD - prior to treatment was he was very impulsive (running out into the street without thinking - even though he had been taught not to; hanging over the banister where there is a two store drop to a hard tile floor - even though he had been taught not to; etc., etc.). At school, before the medications - he'd constantly get in and out of his chair, talking out of turn, etc., etc. This wasn't simply a matter of lack of discipline - if you asked him how he felt before he'd do a series of active behaviors (such as getting in and out of his chair, playing with things at his desk, etc.) - he'd say he'd try to not do it, but it felt like an itch that needed scratched, acting out the behavior would relieve the "itchy" feeling and he could focus for a bit longer. Same with some of the other behaviors. He wasn't doing it to disregard the rules - but because if he didn't do it he'd feel he was going to explode. It's similar to what people that have tics describe. The medications AND non-medication interventions combined help him be able to focus in school and other settings, control his impulsiveness, etc.

What's funny, I see people talk about grades and academic performance - many kids with ADHD, once their ADHD is treated (whether medication, non-medication therapies or a combination of both) actually do very well in academic settings. It's interesting to note that many studies have found that once a child with ADHD is successfully treated, their IQ tests often place them at the higher end (most have an IQ of above 120). Of course, not all kids with ADHD follow this typically seen pattern - nor does a high IQ, by itself, guarantee anything in life.

My ADHD child has a lot of manners, respect.... she still is ADHD. ADHD does not equal bad child.

It is actually harmful and will not help someone that does not actually have ADHD to take these meds. The stimulant meds are amphetamines. For someone that has ADHD it balances the chemicals in the brain and will actually make that person calm and focused. People seeking the med to enhance their academic performance will find the med will give them tons of enery and they can hyperfocus, stay up all night - however it tends to be disorganized and will probably create academic failure for that person. It actually makes a person that does not have ADHD look like they do.

ADHD can be either primarily hyperactive, primarily inattentive, or a combination of both. My son's hyperactivity dropped off alot in middle school, so he's primarily inattentive now. My daughter who is also ADHD has never been hyper or a behavior problem. I have been a parent to my children, not their friend and have tried diet, behavior modification, and strict parenting. None of that worked to help them with their attention and lack of impulse control. They were diagnosed by a psychiatrist who is also an MD and specializes in children. Since my son's diagnosis last year, he has really turned things around. He's not a zombie at all and is highly intelligent. He just couldn't concentrate long enough to finish anything.

I'll echo bmx mom. My son is 7 and has inattentive ADD. He is well-behaved and in fact, often commended in public, by strangers, for his good behavior. He is well-spoken and not disruptive. We discipline him and parent him appropriately. He is doing terribly in school because he cannot focus long enough to even complete a work sheet. We do homework in 10 minute increments with 10 minute breaks just so he can get through it. He wants to do well and we want him to succeed; he just can't do it the way many other children do. After we tried counseling and behavioral therapy for a year, his pediatrician told us medications were available but in no way pushed them. We did try them but he got aggressive while taking them so now we're back on the long and frustrating road of behavioral therapy teaching him techniques to get through what he needs to get through.

Showmeproof:

I've found that an empty room with nothing but a table, a chair, and a light pointed kind of like a spotlight on the writing surface helps. That got me through college. The usual home environment has lots of distractions that "normal" people wouldn't even think of as distracting.

No wall hangings, no music, no open window (and curtains over the window!), and point the light so there's no shadows on the table. Nothing on the carpet or bare floor, either.

The problem with that set-up, of course, is having the room to do it...

My son has used music with headphones to help cut distractions around him while doing homework. We tried classical music but heavy metal actually worked better for him, go figure.

Makes perfect sense. Classical is extremely relaxing. Metal is stimulating / agitating and has a good "white noise" quality to it. There's so much going on in it that one specific stimulus won't catch his attention.

The empty room thing would just make me trance out when I was an ADHD kid, while I would stare at every minute variation of the paint on the walls or wood on the desk and form the shapes into pictures in my mind. Or at least that's what happened when my elementary school tried it with me. I've found that loud music or headphones helps greatly myself, although my music of choice for studying is techno or dance music.

well, all you have to do is look around... it's right in front of you! if you can't see it you are not looking...

Education via documentaries. Nice.

Do you have any valid sources to support your rant?

Calling people stupid and moronic in your rants is dishonorable.

Ummm... ADHD is NOT autism spectrum.

UMMM my son has asperger's syndrome and i deal with it EVERY SINGLE DAY OF MY LIFE SO don't tell me i was educated by documentaries!!!!!!!!! you MORON if you had a clue what i dealt with every day you would not look in my direction. I'm really tired of people who have no frame of reference running their mouth's You don't know that i sit at my computer every night trying to find way's to help with my son's CONDITION i know more about this subject than most DR.s and my son's DR. agree's so you should ball up your self like a piece of paper and get bent I know the truth if you can't see that that's your loss hope you have a child soon and have to deal with something that the MEDICAL community largely admit's they know nothing about so EAT THAT you uninformed IDIOT i don't care if it's unhonorable to call you name's It's also dishonorable to commit slavery and genecide and enforce ideology thruogh pain which is what america has done for 300 years i.e. you live in a country that was stolen from peaceful people. SO WHAT NOW MR HIGHHORSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And by the by if adhd is not an autism specturm then why do they treat children for it where my SON GOES FOR HIS THERAPY TO HELP WITH ASPERGER"S!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!???????????????????You will believe anything your told on the new's you need to read some more!!!!!!!THANX HAVE A NICE DAY BY FROM FATHER OF A SON WITH ASPERGER"S I don't believe the stuff people get paid to say thta's why i'm the NONFOLLOWER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

IF you don't have a child with an adhd or autism or asperger's disorder DON'T comment cause you have no right or frame of reference i.e get lost you don't know what we deal with every day to try to make our children's condition liveable.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And if you don't believe that the stuff on your food is causing 90 percent of this problem then it will only get worse!!!!!!!!!!!!!I have studied extensively the causes for these disorder's and thimerasol {methylmercury} from factories and in vaccine's and pesticide's are agreed upon as major contributors by dr.s all over the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

non follower, no mercury or thimeresol is NOT agreed upon as the primary cause except by paranoid anti vaxers who are not scientists , doctors, or researchers with the training and education to make such a determination.

Take your anti vaxer nonsense ELSEWHERE.

FDA recognizes possible link between food dyes and ADHD

Emily Kay ADHD, ADHD causes, ADHD treatments April 6, 2011 No Comments

Long denying any link between food dyes and ADHD, FDA now looking into possible correlations, especially Blue 1 & 2, Green 3, Orange B, Yellow 5 & 6, and Red 40 & 3.

Hmm wonder how many other things you don't know!! I have a son with asperger's what is your motivation to dig into what's happening to our children SIR

Do you know who the head of the FDA is? Do you know who the head of the USDA is? You know the people that tell you your food is safe? Find out then find out who they worked for before they got their current position's! then ask yourself why they don't label your foods that contain GMO's!You can call me paranoid all day I think you just don't want to admit that your government does not care about you! Wonder why most of the world doesn't eat GMO's!Why do the companies that make GMO's not use them in their own cafeteria! I know you don't care but that's ok! when your gone from frankenfoods i will still be here!!What if i sat here and said PTSD is not real although I know it is very real but I have no clue what causes it so i don't ram families about trying to find solutions to their problem they know more about it than i do SO CALL ME PARANOID WALKING DEADGUY

www.nationalautismassociation.org/thimerosal.php

Anyone here that can tell me how much testing is done on Genetically modified food before they put it on your shelves!!! the correct answer is 0 percent. Did you know that the first case of autism disorder was observed in 1931 THE VERY SAME YEAR THAT THIMEROSAL WAS INTRODUCED INTO VACCINES HMMMMM!!!Doesn't take rocket science to see the correlation WANT some more I HATE BATTLING WITH UNARMED PEOPLE!!!!

Dear Mr. Genenut keep on following ya'll don't come back now ya hear we need people willing to open their minds not just believe what people get paid to say go back to your lab and start over!!!!!!!!!!

1. Mercury is hazardous to humans. The use of a toxic poison as a preservative is undesirable, unnecessary and should be eliminated entirely.

2. For decades, ethylmercury was used extensively in medical products ranging from vaccines to topical ointments as preservative and an anti-bacteriological agent.

3. Manufacturers of vaccines and thimerosal, (an ethylmercury compound used in vaccines), have never conducted adequate testing on the safety of thimerosal. The FDA has never required manufacturers to conduct adequate safety testing on thimerosal and ethylmercury compounds. Current evidence suggests thimerosal is neither "safe nor effective" when used as a preservative in vaccines.

4. There are over 1500 studies and papers documenting the hypoallergenicity and toxicity of thimerosal (ethylmercury) have existed for decades.

5. The United States is in the midst of a tragic epidemic of autism. An analysis of the US Department of Education data from 1992-1993 in comparison to 2000-2001 indicates that there has been an average increase of 644% among all US children. In addition, 13 states have reported an almost infinite or infinite increase in autism from 1992-1993 in comparison to 2000-2001. A review of children in US schools indicates that approximately 1 in 9 children in the US is currently disabled by the US Department of Education Statistics (see attachment). Recent studies in the Journal of the American Medical Association and Pediatrics have confirmed the autism epidemic is real and not due to changes in diagnosis, populational changes nor is it explained by other factors.

6. At the same time that the incidence of autism was growing, the number of childhood vaccines containing thimerosal was growing, increasing the amount of ethylmercury to which infants were exposed threefold.

Just some facts from The University of calgary got to the website and read for yourself and take a close look at the charts at the end that explain what mercury POISONING IS BYE NOW!!!!

For the record nonfollower Both of my children have concurrent dx of ASD and ADHD.

THIMEROSOL has been REMOVED from children's vaccines for over 10 years now and studies showed that the only link between autism and thimerosol was in MR Wakefield's imaginary world. yes Mr. His medical liscense was STRIPPED due to his unethical behavior associated with the made up study in the lancet all those years ago.

Way to spam/double post a thread, Have you been evaluated for ADHD, autism,etc. It would seem there is a genetic component in your family through you.

As to your assumptions about me being a man, well we all know what ASSumptions make you.

The first cases of autism were seen LONG before 1931.

"M.W.Barr, a late 19th century Psychologist, described in an 1898 medical report an encounter he had with a 22-year-old retarded male who, according to Barr, had a phenomenal memory and Echolalic speech. The report was called "A note on Echolia, with the report of an extraordinary case" and was published in the Journal of Nervous Mental Diseases that year."

"In 1919, an American Psychologist named Lightner Witmer wrote about a two-and-a-half year old boy who displayed several aspects of Autistic behaviour. He was accepted at Witmer's special school, and individual teaching over a long period of time helped this child compensate for some of his disabilities."

So take your insults and fraudulent "research" and "facts" and paranoia ELSWHERE.

I rest my case about nonfollower. His son is likely unable to cope with his rants and attitude. Sad, really.

Junicon, your links and information are entirely bogus, you've really had the rug pulled out from your eyes. Do you also believe the media manipulated hogwash claiming our wars somehow "protect our freedoms and security?" or in any fashion really "serve our nation?" outside of war profiteering corporations or USA's historic unecessary arms race to "power"?? It's all about profits into big Pharma, Doctors with their hands tied behind their backs with the proliferation of kids claimed to have such disorder, mainly due to school budget cuts (to pay for those useless wars) and districts taking PhysEd and other healthy breaks away from those young girls and boys. I am lucky my child goes to a school that has not cut PhysEd, and surprise surprise, barely any kids there "diagnosed"" with ADHD or ANY learning disability, and its highest API performance in area. NO human can sit for the amount of time many children are expected to sit and listen, never mind we have our classroom levels so accelerated compared to what their MBA and Ph.D educated parents did.....3rd graders now doing 5th grade level work in this unhealthy "Race to Nowhere". A high majority of kids"diagnosed" with ADHD do not in fact, have any type of attention disorder.....they have been given unhealthy and often developmentally inappropriate guidelines of expectations. Sad, for both those wrongly diagnosed when they are healthy normal kids, as well as those few that really MIGHT have ADHD falling through cracks because they don't "qualify" with the numbers and lost in shuffle. And any that are truly with any attention disorder are highly linked to environmental factors....MONSANTO for one a huge culprit with its GMO's lurking in so many foods. Two people hit that one right on the head, and someone here also insightfuly mentioned their is no compelling reason for ANYONE (especially children) to be taking so many mind and personality altering drugs, which are bad for your health. We have tried to mold kids into an unhealthy overly competitive society with the new "norm" of expected behaviors, when kids should be out playing and not playing videos etc so much. ADHD is more a lack of micro-nutrients than any genetic thing, and can be taking care of much better through proper diet and exercise than any meds. We are a pill popping nation, as its a big profit industry at expense of people (ditto for the MIC). Amen

Not all children with ADHD exhibit the same behaviors. My son has it and I had always suspected he did by his behavior and difficulties in school. My daughter acted nothing like my son, had no behavior issues, and no hyperactvity. She was just diagnosed at 20 yo. She did very well in school til she hit middle school, then it all went downhill. We attributed it to changing schools and friends, but her grades never improved and she is also very smart. I have done alot of reading on ADHD since my son was diagnosed and I started to realize she showed symptoms of it that were very suttle. She's hoping to take a semester off of college and get treatment and maybe when she goes back, she will finally be sucessful in school again.

I find it remarkable how many parents begin their statements with: "My child really does have ADHD and..."

Telling, isn't it, when parents get defensive about the psychiatric disorder(s)their children have... or don't have.

Dave, we get defensive because of what we and our children have been through and continue to go through. It is very tough hearing from teachers, and school administrators how your child is just lazy, they are smart if they would only apply themselves, and being disciplined for something they can't help. How would you feel if your ten year old child talked of suicide because they were so unhappy at school? Not home life but school? I've been there, it's very difficult.

I understand exactly how you feel!

Just a mom - I think a lot of the vitriol here is aimed at the vast majority of kids (well, the parents of them) who have been "diagnosed" with ADHD when it's really just poor parenting. I'm always mindful to add the, "Now I understand that ADHD is a legitimate condition and some people will require medication," disclaimer to my posts, but a lot of people don't, even though they share that belief.

It can definitely feel like an attack (I get that way when I see people make blanket statements, too), but, in general, it's honestly not meant as one.

I agree with you Just a mom. But you did use the words uneducated, and unsubstantiated and called people on that, so here goes: You mentioned karma having a way of working things out. Are you buddhist? Have you studied karma? Because your statement reveals you might only have an incorrect Western idea of karma. : )

There is research that backs up your idea that physical activity helps kids and adults with mild forms of ADHD. Certain types of physical activity stimulates the brain the way the ADHD meds do. Many schools have dropped PE and recess in recent years and there are many who think this has had a direct effect on the number of kids being diagnosed.

That's hitting the nail squarely on the head, pricessbride.

@JrzWrld I hope you are still reading - I think that it is wonderful that you have embraced your ADD. I hope you can tell me - what do you do for a living?

THANK YOU! I was diagnosed with ADHD the summer after high school. It's all I can do to sit at my desk at work. I'm with you I don't use meds either. They actually hurt me when I take them. Thank you for sharing your story.

@JrzWrld I'm very glad you wrote what you did. Because I have almost the exact same issues as you have. Runs in my family, & I also did well academically & people assume that I'm "normal", & look at me very strangely when I tell them I have ADD. (I don't have the hyperactivity) I have a terrible time with organization & am very forgetful, nervous/fidgety, etc...& I strive some days because of it. But I am doing my best. I'm not currently taking meds either, but I feel my problems are worsening as I get older. I'm trying to make the best of it as I can. I wasn't diagnosed either until now, & I am almost 30.

With all due respect, horsesh1t. There's nothing wrong with you.

I'm as forgetful as can be and, probably by most people's definition, very disorganized. I guarantee you that a so-called "mental health professional" would diagnose me with ADHD/ADD - they'll diagnose anyone who walks in the door and says they have trouble concentrating as having ADHD/ADD. The only thing the diagnosis gets you is an Rx. And, I'm not going to drug myself to "improve" easily corrected aspects of my behavior and personality.

Forgetfulness? Easily remedied by writing things down. Poorly organized? Again, that's a pretty subjective issue. I can be extremely well-organized when I take the time, but that's not my natural preference.

If there's anything "wrong" with ADHD people (and, BTW, diagnoses for bi-polar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and probably several others are also way up as of late), it probably has a lot more to do with diet and chemicals in your food than any in-born "defect" in your nervous system.

With all due respect, Miker, you're not this guy and you can't possibly understand his mind better from one internet comment than he does from living his whole life in it.

Ditto to you, Jackie. Ditto to you. You have no more standing to disagree with me than you do to agree with him. Just my opinion, which I live with every day and which - despite what some (possibly including yourself) folks apparently believe - is what discussion boards are all about.

You're entitled to your opinion on ADHD and you're welcome to share it. You made some pretty good points. I just think you're just not qualified to evaluate whether or not his evaluation of his ADHD is "horsesh!t".

@Chatty Kaye, I'm an editor who works from home.

@Miker, please read my post carefully. This dates back in my family to the turn of of the century when the diet and chemicals involved were much different. I actually take vitamin supplements that i have read people with ADD/ADHD are lacking. And the last person who insisted to me that my ADD was "just the way I am" or "just my personality" turned out to be a classic case herself.

You don't seem to understand what I was saying. I, and people like me - perhaps even you- have a brain that is not wired like the majority of the population. It is a disorder in the sense that it makes it difficult - if not impossible - to live one's life in the same way that the majority of the population does. I learn differently. I have trouble with things that many people find ridiculously easy. Yet I can also do things that many people with the normal brain wiring cannot do. To deny that this exists is ridiculous, but it's also ridiculous that people think it can be medicated away.

The truly smart course of action is to raise your child with an understanding of their issues, and teach them how to navigate around them or use them to their advantage. If educators and parents would pay more attention to their children's personalities and capabilities without investing their ego or preconceived beliefs from early in a child's education, I think the number of children being medicated for ADD/ADHD would go down significantly.