JANE KELLEY was thinking about A.D.D and keyed into cyberspace:
JK>MP>MB>Way back in the 1970's, my (then) 5-year-old daughter was
JK>MP>MB>diagnosed as having "MDB" & hyperactivity-- later, they changed
JK>MP>MB>the terminology to ADD & hyperactivity.  The pediatrician
JK>MP>MB>prescribed Ritalin and a psychologist informed us that our
JK>MP>MB>child would not be able to function in school at all without
JK>MP>MB>Ritalin and probably only in "special" schools even with it.
JK>MP>Back in the 1970's the diagnostic methodology for what we now call
JK>MP>ADHD was quite primitive. Many kids were mis-diagnosed. Heck, it
JK>MP>even happens today. It is absolutely impossible that your daughter
JK>MP>was mis-diagnosed? 
JK>IT is quite possible that you haven't the first clue, second guessing
JK>from your armchair as you write.
JK>MP>Also, even then, I would have classified your psychologist as not
JK>MP>being too bright. I hope it learned something since then.
JK>Just how should we classify the author of that remark?
JK>MP>MB>We ended up not giving our child Ritalin, and we went ahead and
JK>MP>MB>enrolled her in public schools.  We didn't just ignore the
JK>MP>MB>situation, though.  Our general goal was to help our daughter
JK>MP>MB>emphasize her talents (of which many were ADD characteristics)
JK>MP>MB>and preserve her self-esteem, so that she could achieve
JK>MP>MB>success.  For instance, she seemed to need far less sleep than
JK>MP>MB>an average child, so instead of insisting that she sleep and
JK>MP>MB>making her sleep with medication, we taught her how to utilize
JK>MP>MB>those nighttime hours when everyone else was sleeping-- she
JK>MP>MB>would read late at night, or work puzzles. 
JK>MP>Your daughter sounds very bright. What you did was to challenge
JK>MP>her in a way that worked *for her*. Many very bright kids are
JK>MP>often mistaken for ADHDers. There are many signs that are
JK>MP>co-morbid. However, the ADHDer has them to a far greater degree.
JK>Pontification doesn't detract one whit from the accomplishment of
JK>this family and the persistance they demonstrate to this day in
JK>managing to ignore what you and others like you advocate for their
JK>children. 
Gee whillikers, Jane, I just told the lady that she did one heck of a 
job raising her kid. You found fault with that.
What I advocate is proper diagnosis and proper treatment.
JK>You just cannot admit that she is correct as it would place a
JK>whopping dent in your belief system which is based on incorrect
JK>assumptions about the human brain and central nervous system.
Golly gee, Jane, I admitted that she did a great job. She did what was 
right for her child. I said that. I admire that.
                ===>The Voice of Reason<===
                     mark.probert@juno.com
---
 * CMPQwk #1.4 * UNREGISTERED EVALUATION COPY
---------------