Leona Payne On (01 Aug 96) was overheard to say to Bob Moylan
 LP> I don't agree with your logic. I do not profess to be a medical
 LP> doctor, therefore any opinion I offer as to a child's possible
 LP> condition can be only that:  opinion.
 You seem to be overlooking that the opinion you would be expressing
 is that the child has a medical condition.  There are several
 disorders with symptoms very similar to ADD/ADHD; are you familiar
 enough with all of those to be able to rule them out?
 LP> What this woman was saying to me was that I cannot say the words
 LP> "hyperactive," "short attention span," or "you should take the
 LP> child to be assessed."
 Again, she was right; no teacher without a medical credential is
 qualified to label any child with those words - and make no mistake -
 it is labeling them if you say your child is "hyperactive" or "you
 should take the child to be assessed".  That last phrase will raise
 the hackles on any parents back; do you really imagine they don't
 already know their child has a problem?  How do you know they aren't
 already in the evaluation process?
 LP> I disagree with you that it's not a teacher's place to tell a
 LP> parent that---it's nearly a duty to do so if the teacher observes
 LP> a problem.
 I'll maintain that it is NOT a teacher's duty to relate observations
 in such terms; use the language of _your_ profession.  Yes it's
 semantics and yes you are saying the same thing but in a manner you are
 qualified to say it in.
 LP> Am I supposed to ignore a student who is having trouble & wreaking
 LP> havoc on the rest of the class?  I don't think so.
 Of course not, and I don't think so either.  But don't make the
 unwarranted leap that the kid needs to be assessed for ADD/ADHD
 because they are having trouble and "wreaking havoc".
 LP> Incidentally, once these kids are taking medication, the doctors are
 LP> quite happy to send 'round questionnaires asking me to rate the
 LP> child's behavior & describe symptoms.  So, how have I suddenly become
 LP> qualified?
 That's backwards...those questionnaires are sent out BEFORE a
 diagnosis is made; you are being asked to describe behavior and
 symptoms.  On every teacher questionnaire I've seen (and I've seen
 LOTS) there are questions directly related to academic performance.
 You still are not qualified to make the diagnosis, you are being asked
 specific questions regarding the child's performance in the school
 environment.  You are being asked for your opinion as a professional
 EDUCATOR.
 LP> FWIW, students who refuse to wear glasses & are assigned preferential
 --bunch of unrelated stuff cut--
 BM>  Not the same thing at all; the kid can tell you she's got a headache
 LP> Oh, the _kid_ is a medical doctor & can make that diagnosis?
 C'mon now that was a cheap shot
 LP> Honestly, Bob, I'm allowed to check off Cold, Flu, Sore Throat,
 LP> Conjunctivitis & all sorts of conditions that are "diagnoses."  You're
 LP> just belaboring the point.
 You wouldn't think that if you had ever been involved in, or had
 personal knowledge of, a case of parents bringing suit against a
 district and a teacher when the teacher repeatedly told the parents
 that their child was "hyperactive"; had a "short attention span",
 was "always disrupting the class" and was a trouble maker with no
 friends.
 LP> Informing the parent the child needs to be tested is NOT by any
 LP> stretch a medical diagnosis, nor does it make us any more liable for
 LP> doctor bills than if the nurse sends home a note to get the parent
 LP> to take the kid to the eye doctor.  SHE'S not a optometrist or an
 LP> ophthalmologist yet she can form a professional opinion about the
 LP> child's sight.
 You got it; she can form a "professional" medical opinion - she's got
 the license to do so .. you don't.  It's that simple.
 LP> In fact, we are told to assess ANY child's condition whether or not
 LP> s/he complains about health & have even been directed by the nurse
 LP> *not* to send them for specific symptoms.
 So what do you do, wait for the kid to fall out in your classroom?
 Your nurse is telling you to make medical assessments and you are
 okay with this?  I hope your dues are paid up, you may need that
 million in liability coverage some day.
 LP> I disagree.  I shouldn't be able to discuss something with a school
 LP> employee that I can't discuss with the parents.
 You don't seem to be getting it....those other school employees have
 different credentials than you do, not better or worse just
 different, that should indicate they do have the training/experience
 to recognize and recommend just as your training and experience tells
 you that the kid has problems learning and you refer him/her to them.
--- PPoint 2.00
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