Posted by headachequeen on November 23, 2004, at 20:52:53
In reply to Re: Anti Ritalin, posted by bridgey1128 on November 23, 2004, at 16:06:15
As a former teacher, and one who taught in a private school as well as in public and separate board schools, I have seen the effects of Ritalin first hand...
the private school in which I taught had a Ritalin policy: simply put, NO ritalin...
there had to be another way...
studies have shown such damage...
and teachers often insist on it because they are too lazy to do their jobs...
speaking as an ADD possibly ADHD kid who is still ADD as an adult, I know and can remember some wonderful teachers and some lousy teachers in the years (remember I am from the 19th century) before it was identified let alone diagnosed and long before ritalin was developed...
the great ones kept me challenged and made sure that I was on track and then met my behaviour appropriately and I hope I learned from them for the days when I was in a classroom...
there is a great deal of what we used to call school phobia and it usually can be tracked right back to the teacher...
oh how I would hate to think I caused it for a child...There are programmes and there are special schools that deal with children with the problems that accompany ADD/ADHD and there are counsellors that work with parents and teachers...
it is not an easy task...
ask my mother... she will tell you...
I could not sit still; still can't... and always had to be doing, moving, talking, bouncing....
now I just say it was the epilepsy of course... have a scapegoat, but the reality is that I am and always will be ADD and have not found a way to eliminate it...
It certainly is not the result of bad parenting skills...
often I found it was a child who was extremely bright with wonderful parents who did the utmost...In one case I discovered the child had severe problems pushing him into all sorts of behaviours...
he had come home from school one day to find his father, a war veteran and older when his three sons were born, hanging from the rafters in the barn...
the boy was nine at the time ....
his mother was forty-plus when he was born and not in good health...
he lived with what he had found and with the fear that one day she would die too... and what would happen to him..
he was unable to pay attention to anything...
extremely bright.. the entire class was A-stream and he was among the top six in the class but I had to spend as much time as possible with him, channeling his interest and attention...
it was May before I found out what had happened in his life...
some mental midget in his fourth grade had not noted the suicide in his records...
we could have done so much more for him with that knowledge...
he is now an active person in the community... politically active, a businessman, successful and a good father...
and an adult ADHD ....
we are still friends and I will never forget the day he turned to me at an antique auction and said, Dear heaven! You're ADD too... you know, you can get help for that... your daughter is really good at counselling and treating the disorder...
we were rolling on the floor..
so much for my dignity...
someday maybe she will be able to help me...
and she is supposed to put together some material for us...
must get on her case about it...
kat who gets bored soo easily
poster:headachequeen
thread:416940
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20041122/msgs/419501.html