Jeff Richter On (18 Dec 96) was overheard to say to TINA HARRIS
 Hey Jeff...
 JR> What I have personally done is different than the Politically correct
 JR> way of doing things.
 There is not really a correct (politically or otherwise) way of
 managing a child with ADD/ADHD.  Each kid is different and different
 approaches are required to meet THAT kid's needs.  That _some_ things
 seem to work for many doesn't mean they work for all.
 JR> I praise my son when he does well, and tell him
 JR> to keep up the good work.
 Absolutely ... in everything
 JR> When he comes home with a bad weekly report,
 JR> I stand firm in taking away the things he likes. This gets him
 JR> thinking. I took away all his toys just last week, and now he will
 JR> "earn" them back. Alot of people may disagree with me, thats ok,
 JR> because it is working with my son.
 I don't believe that what happens at school should be punished at
 home.  If, as you say, it is working with your son why would you have
 to repeat this procedure over and over?  On the face of it, it
 wouldn't seem to be having any lasting effect...  ??
 The only thing that happens at school that we link to any other
 activity is participation in league sports... grades have to be
 maintained at an acceptable level - including homework - or he
 doesn't play; that's something he REALLY understands.
 JR> I don't believe in pills making things right.
 I don't think you will find many, if any, here who do believe or
 preach that.  What you will see many of us saying over and over is
 that the right med or combo of meds helps our kids to do the best
 they are capable of, something that they CAN'T do very well with out
 meds.  Ritalin/clonidine are helping my son to be the kind of kid HE
 wants to be.
 JR> I think ADHD is nothing more than "LAZINESS" to be blunt.
 Oh dear...the temptation to flame this is strong but the knowledge
 that doing so wouldn't be constructive is stronger.  "Laziness" is
 a word that is used over and over to describe children and adults
 with ADD/ADHD by people who should, but don't, know better.  There
 has been a lot written about ADD/ADHD in non-medical terms by many
 who have made long term, in depth, studies of the subject.  If you
 have web access do a search using any browser you happen to like for
 ADHD or ADD.  You'll get more hits than you can comfortably read at
 one sitting.  If you don't have internet access your local library
 will have many of these books on their shelves.  Thinking something
 is so and knowing, being able to prove it is, are two different
 things.  At one time the widespread and commonly held belief was that
 the earth was flat, a little knowledge disproved that belief.
 Why not give your son the benefit of a doubt and read about the
 subject.
 Bob
... That's just my opinion... and I could be wrong.
--- PPoint 2.02
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