right ok, i have decided to post this due to a few factors here, it seems that many people think that ADHD/ADD is down to bad mums and dads so let me put some of those unfounded myths to rest: If a student in your class has been diagnosed with ADHD, his or her parents may be asking themselves, "Why our child—did we do something to cause this? Who is to blame?" While the causes of ADHD are not entirely clear, it is believed that the disorder is caused by biological factors. Heredity ADHD tends to run in families, which means that genes may play a role. Most children with ADHD have at least one family member with the disorder. Changes in Brain Function Studies show that the brains of children with ADHD may function differently than those of other children. These children may have an imbalance of chemicals in the brain that help to regulate behavior. What Does NOT Cause ADHD Poor parenting Family problems Bad teachers Ineffective schools Too much television Refined sugar Food allergies -------------------------- http://www.adhdinfo.com/info/school/about/sch_what_causes_adhd.jsp --------------------------------- Myth: Children naturally outgrow ADHD. Fact: In some children, the overactive behavior of ADHD decreases during the teen years. But inattention often becomes more challenging during early high school years when students must organize homework assignments and complete complex projects. Some children do not experience any symptoms of ADHD in adulthood, while some experience fewer symptoms. Others have no change in their symptoms from childhood to adulthood. Myth: ADHD is caused by too much white sugar, preservatives, and other artificial food additives. Removing these things from a child's diet can cure the disorder. Fact: Studies have shown that very few children with ADHD are helped by special diets. Most of the children who do respond to diets are very young or have food allergies. Sugar and food additives have been ruled out as causes for ADHD. Myth: Poor parenting is responsible for ADHD behaviors in children. Fact: ADHD is a physical disorder caused by differences in how the child's brain works. Anxiety-producing factors, such as family conflicts or disruptions, can aggravate the disorder, but they do not cause it. Correcting Myths About ADHD Stimulant Medications Myth: Children treated with stimulant medications will become addicted or will be more likely to abuse other drugs. Fact: Stimulant medications are not addictive when used as directed. Studies have shown adequate treatment of ADHD may reduce the risk of substance abuse. Myth: Children must be taken off stimulant medications by the time they become teenagers. Fact: About 80% of children who need medications will need them as teenagers. Myth: Stimulant medications stunt growth. Fact: While stimulant medications may cause an initial, mild slowing of growth, this effect is temporary. Children treated with ADHD stimulant medications ultimately reach their normal height. Myth: Children build up a tolerance to stimulant medication. They end up needing more and more of it. Fact: While your child's medication may need to be adjusted occasionally, there's no evidence that children become tolerant to medication or require more of it to be effective. ------------------------------------- http://www.adhdinfo.com/info/faqs/myths.jsp ---------------------------------- so now i do hope that this blaming mums and dads for ADHD/ADD stops now, they are illnesses just like, bi pola, tourrets, depression, and cancer and should be treated like an illness and not to blame the mums and dads, so if people want to keep blaming others for ADHD then fine, but if you really want to find the cause then go and see a dr and as them what they think, and not a normal GP either, go and see someone who has studied the illnesses for years! and ask them what they think!
Relax. The reason it gets blamed on parents is because , for many people (and Docs) it's virtually impossible to tell an ADD child from one who's parents have never taught them how to act. Pills for everyone!
yeah but people should tell the differance, i am so annoyed with people who have NO idea or little knowledge of the conditions giving they're input on matters that frankly they have no right to! unless they have a child/ren with the condition then they dont know for sure do they?
but dont you think that people should at least have an informed opinion on the conditions before they start flaming mums and dads?
yeah "may" no one knows for 100% sure what causes the conditions, but the things they have ruled out are extensive, bad mums and dads being one on them!
Luci, what ,IYO, is the percentage of ADD/ADHD kids have been wrongly diagnosed as such? This is relevant to what "they" really know about the condition.
i dont know the percentage of misdiagnosed children, like i dont know how many people are told that they have cancer when in fact they havent
You can tell the difference. You can see it in a really big way. If you compare a child with ADHD and one who lacks discipline. Kids with discipline problems can stop doing things when they want ADHD children may not want to stand up in the middle of class, but they can't stop themselves from doing it. That used to make my brother so miserable because he couldn't stay in his seat no matter how hard he tried.
About 5-6% of the American population has been diagnosed with Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. These rates have remained realtively constant throughout history. Many people claim that their children have it, but they usually do not have an official diagnosis, but most children pass the psychological tests given. Most children with ADHD usually have a learning disability and/or social dysfunctions. If you take some of the medication and don't have ADHD it can have adverse effects, like by making you overly hyper. Yes I know this from personal experience.
If the chemical imbalance cannot be confirmed or measured, one would reason that there is a huge number of kids that are being misdiagnosed. Schools pressure parents to have kids put on meds because the classrooms are crowded.Med companies pressure/pay doctors to move their products. Parents pressure kids to live without them being around. There's a million scenarios for a child to be misdiagnosed for simply reacting to their environment. May I suggest that all of this has led to a huge misunderstanding and gross overreaction of the condition. Also, can we assume that (this is a long shot) all children are different and therefore act differently because that is simply who they are as people?
