*** Quoting Jerry Schwartz to Walter Five dated 05-27-97 ***
> [May 26, 97 - 10:12] Walter Five of 1:106/7315 wrote to Bob Moylan:
> 
> >>  Welll.... the so called "normal" child might make this abstract
> >>  association depending on his/her age.  However, the child with
> >>  ADD/ADHD will not simply because by the time any _punishment_ is
> >>  meted out the transgression has been forgotten.
> 
> WF> Oh, I heartily DISAGREE. I am an ADHD adult. I *was* an ADHD child.
> WF> I certainly KNEW what I was getting punished for, and *why*, most 
> of the
> WF> time. Usually it felt like an injustice, but doesn't it feel that 
> way for 
> 
> My son will, if questioned, give the right answers to those questions: 
> but he doesn't seem able to internalize this knowledge.  He knows it's 
> wrong, he knows he'll get punished, but he does it anyways and doesn't 
> seem to make the connection.  This is very troubling and frustrating to
> me and my wife: the kid is 16, and does a variety of "wrong" things 
> ranging from the bizarre (not bathing or brushing his teeth) to 
> stealing from family members.
Bizzare? Well, I was a Punk-rocker, and those things (green teeth, not 
bathing, ) were der rigor! But that was 20 years ago...BUT I DIGRESS...
Of COURSE it's troubling and frustrating to you. I really empathize with 
that. It sounds to me as if your son's alienation towards "The World" 
(including the two of you) has caused him to embrace amoral behaviors.
Now, it's hard to say, with the little that I hear, what his problem might 
be, but if he *knows* what he's doing, but does it anyway, then he's not 
getting the proper motivators for right-thinking and right-behaviors. He 
doesn't understand that these things are in themselves their own reward.
He probably feels persecuted (a common enough feeling for ADHD'ers) no matter 
*what* he does or doesn't do. Unfortunately, the lifting of the *perception* 
of persecution is much harder than the actual *lifting* of the persecution 
(although that's hard enough). Stealing is a sign of rebellion.
Unfortunatley, it's not a very healthy one. The green teeth and non-bathing 
are actually healthier, in that other than offended olifactory glands, he 
harms no one other than himself. Of course, it won't help towards better 
socialization skills, or make him any happier in the long run.
Best of luck!
Walter Five
--- T.A.G. 2.7c Standard
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