Sunday, February 16, 2014

A Child Development Issue


ADHD, is it real or just prescribed??

While talking to a friend (Bobby Mack) about ADHD, I found that our perspective is somewhat the same.  We both feel that when children at a young age are placed on medication for ADHD, it hold them back to allow maturity development.  I feel that a child should not be tested until the first or second grade.  Over the past years, we have seen the curriculum change throughout the grade levels.  Bobby and I feel that the curricula are based on the European style.  Testing should be more applied science to learning styles.  As educators we are taught to say that a child has ADHD or their attention span is where it supposes to be. We are pushed so much to and not teaching, we are shortchanging the child when it comes to learning.  Now days we teach a child to read by memory not to read to understand what is being read. As we continued to talk about ADHD, we come across the question if children were getting enough exercise and if the classroom overload?  Bobby stated, “Not the lack of exercise but the lack of engagement of materials and the terrible routines”. 

In contrast to our opinion about ADHD, I found a blog about ADHD.  Here is the website http://consults.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/15/when-the-diagnosis-is-a-d-h-d/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0.  After reading through some of the comments that were made about the article I feel that many people have different perspective about ADHD, some say medicate and some say do not medicate. 

Bobby Mack is a motivation speaker.  He is co-owner of a non-profit organization called M-Powering Choices, Inc.  “M-Powering Choices is created to design and present programs to young men and women that will empower them to make responsible choices in their lives. M-Powering Choices targets all young men and women, with a special emphasis on “at-risk” individuals, from third through twelfth grade.  The programs emphasize making responsible choices, such as dressing responsibly, which leads to positive performance in the classroom and ultimately a successful life” (M-Powering Choices, 2013).  Here is his website check it out its really good http://mpoweringchoices.net/index.html.   

 

References

M-Powering Choices, (2013). http://mpoweringchoices.net/index.html     

7 comments:

  1. Hi Felecia!
    I think ADHD is prescribed. When I was in elementary, ADHD never existed. I am 37 years old, all of the people I come in contact with growing up in the 70's to 90's, ADHD was never a topic of conversation. I grew up knowing my cousins whom were very hyper and defiant needed a good corporal punishment. Their parents and our grandparents would step in to discipline them with corporal punishment and their behavior changed drastically to positive cooperation.
    Thanks Vianey

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Vianey,

      I totally agree!!! However, with all these new laws about not spanking your own child. I feel that parents are scared to even be a parent to there child and that is why there is so many behavior problems in the school now.

      Delete
    2. Hi Felecia
      Yes I see some parents are more like friends instead of a parent. There is a fine line when to cross that line with a child. For example, my eight year old daughter is a great kid, since she was a newborn I was firm with her till this day when she refuses to take a bath at a certain hour, because she will answer that it is still not night time. I have to realistically explain to her the importance of bathing, time going to bed early, and the embarrassments of poor hygiene. She understands it then I also talk to her and question why she is challenging when mom asked to do something. She finally gives me an honest answer that she is lazy. I explain to her, I get lazy too, but we must take a bath. Thanks Vianey Garcia

      Delete
  2. Felecia,
    I have strong feelings about diagnosing young children having ADHD. Here in Georgia some children are cheated each day when recess is not provided and they are only offered silent lunch. What is SILENT lunch?! I remember being so excited for recess and lunch, that was my time to socialize with my friends and make new friends. Today, after school teachers are getting stress out because the children that comes into their after school program are so energized that they can't keep still nor can the teachers have control. I usually tell them to just let them go outside and play because they need it. I really think professionals need to look at all areas of a child's environment before stating a child has ADHD.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Susan,

      I cannot agree more!!!! Working with my 4 and 5 years old children at school, I just let them play there hearts out. They struggle the songs they want song and what book they want to read. It is there classroom I am there just so give them guidance.

      Delete
  3. ADHD affect so many children and I know personally how my cousin has been affected from ADHD. My question to you is how can we help support children with this learning disability?

    ReplyDelete
  4. I feel as a teacher I would provide them with the opportunity that is need to help with calm down such as music and movement. I would create activities that have children moving so they do not have to sit for a long period of time. I would use that student to help me in the classroom so he or she did not have to be sitting all the time. Or I would provide that student with boundaries, creating a box or square that he or she has to stay in so she do not disturbs other in the classroom.

    ReplyDelete