MP>MB>Way back in the 1970's, my (then) 5-year-old daughter was diagnosed
MP>MB>as having "MDB" & hyperactivity-- later, they changed the terminology
MP>MB>to ADD & hyperactivity.  The pediatrician prescribed Ritalin and a
MP>MB>psychologist informed us that our child would not be able to function
MP>MB>in school at all without Ritalin and probably only in "special"
MP>MB>schools even with it.
MP>Back in the 1970's the diagnostic methodology for what we now call ADHD
MP>was quite primitive. Many kids were mis-diagnosed. Heck, it even happens
MP>today. It is absolutely impossible that your daughter was mis-diagnosed?
IT is quite possible that you haven't the first clue, second guessing
from your armchair as you write.
MP>Also, even then, I would have classified your psychologist as not being
MP>too bright. I hope it learned something since then.
Just how should we classify the author of that remark?
MP>MB>We ended up not giving our child Ritalin, and we went ahead and
MP>MB>enrolled her in public schools.  We didn't just ignore the situation,
MP>MB>though.  Our general goal was to help our daughter emphasize her
MP>MB>talents (of which many were ADD characteristics) and preserve her
MP>MB>self-esteem, so that she could achieve success.  For instance, she
MP>MB>seemed to need far less sleep than an average child, so instead of
MP>MB>insisting that she sleep and making her sleep with medication, we
MP>MB>taught her how to utilize those nighttime hours when everyone else
MP>MB>was sleeping-- she would read late at night, or work puzzles.
MP>Your daughter sounds very bright. What you did was to challenge her in a
MP>way that worked *for her*. Many very bright kids are often mistaken for
MP>ADHDers. There are many signs that are co-morbid. However, the ADHDer
MP>has them to a far greater degree.
Pontification doesn't detract one whit from the accomplishment of this
family and the persistance they demonstrate to this day in managing to
ignore what you and others like you advocate for their children.
You just cannot admit that she is correct as it would place a whopping
dent in your belief system which is based on incorrect assumptions about
the human brain and central nervous system.
How that function depends upon the state of the rest of the body, not
drugs.
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