Isang Pinoy Teachers Network member ang nagtanong sa akin thru our listserv:
"I wonder: how do schools deal with students diagnosed with learning disabilities? ADD for example. are they still told to take ritalin? There seems to be controversy on this subject, and in some kids it worked, in others, it just made it worst."
Tamang-tama naman, dumating sa aking email ang kasagutan:
ADHD is suspected when people have a harder time than others their ages paying attention, sitting still or controlling impulses. To be diagnosed, those tendencies must interfere with work, school or other activities.
At a time when millions of children and adults are taking drugs for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, the most comprehensive scientific analysis of the drugs to date has found little evidence that they are safe, that one drug is more effective than another or that they help school performance.
They found:
• “No evidence on long-term safety of drugs used to treat ADHD in young children” or adolescents.
• “Good quality evidence … is lacking” that ADHD drugs improve “global academic performance, consequences of risky behaviors, social achievements” and other measures.
• Safety evidence is of “poor quality,” including research into the possibility that some ADHD drugs could stunt growth, one of the greatest concerns of parents.
• Evidence that ADHD drugs help adults “is not compelling,” nor is evidence that one drug “is more tolerable than another.”
• The way the drugs work is, in most cases, not well understood.
The findings do not mean ADHD drugs are unsafe or unhelpful, just that sound scientific proof is lacking. (Are ADHD drugs safe? Report finds little proof)
RELATED TOPICS: ADHD/ ADD, Ritalin, special education
10 comments:
i have a nephew who has an ADHD, he's super likot and he doesn't listen, ano po ba pwede gawin para ma-control sila somehow?
but you know he's actually very smart.
first day ng baby ko sa school behave naman sya for the first 2 weeks. then suddenly the teacher wrote us a letter saying that my kid doesn't listen to them and he keeps running around the classrom, standing on his table and going under the table that disturb the whole class. And they said it's unacceptable and doesn't follow school rules and regulations! Nagpanting ang tenga ko. 3 years old lang ang anak ko and they want to expect my kid to follow their R&R?! Google search ako about ADHD. it sez there that 6 years of age palang mad-detect ang sakit na'to. Actually nag start ang ganong behaviour nya nung pumasok na sya sa school.
my son has ADHD, Inattentive type diagnosed when he was around 5 years old. Her Developmental Pedia didnt recommend the use of Ritalin, Straterra or Concerta. My son is not hyper-active anymore, I guess he has already out-grown this symptom. But periods of inattention is still there. What she recommended though is that my son should undergo, regular OT sessions.
There are a lot of misconceptions about ADHD: that the child is just restless, kulang sa disiplina etc.
Sadly, awareness and advocacy for ADHD here in Philippines still raw.
In the UK I think that it is sometimes used as an excuse for poor behaviour. We had one child who was no problem at school, but at home had appalling behaviour problems - The doctor put him onto Ritalin without even contacting the school!
this post is really informational. i will provide it (with your permissionof course) to one of my friends who has an ADHD-stricken 5-year old son.
Marisol -Im afraid my son might have ADHD. He just turned 4 and very hyper. He cant keep still. At play he becomes very hyper with other kids and can’t seem to calm down..same thing when hes by himself.
His Pedi MD said its hard to make a diagnosis at this time as kids his age are normally hyper. His daddy is hyper too sometimes..hehe. I guess Im seeing a pattern here..take care. :-)
LEVIUQSE, some of those people diagnosed with ADHD are usually smart, that's why they could function well in the mainstream without anybody (but those in the field specializing in exceptionality) noticing their problem. What they can actually do with their extra energy/ hyperactivity is to release them in productive ways like sports, music or anything of their interest.
PENOVATE, really unfair for the kid, because the label with be attached to him na. Some diagnosticians really make money out of this...and some teachers make this as an excuse for classroom mismanagement. Your child is in the hyperactive stage ("terrible two's and three's") and the kid is enjoying exploring the surroundings. Ang pinakamabuti talaga dyan is parent and teacher education on ADHD and other exceptional cases.
DARLENE, when I was there in the Philippines, I would go to ADHD seminar workshops sponsored by Dr. Leticia Penano-Ho of PSYCHPROS. She was the Dean of the UP College of Education when I left the Phils, I just don't know kung sya parin ang dean doon or nasa private practice na sya. She's a very good clinical psychologist and very well trained here in the US. She's an advocate of ADD?ADHD and she know a whole lot about this case.
ANDREW, I agree that in some cases, ADHD becomes an excuse for poor parental discipline. I know somebody who was diagnosed with ADHD when the child was under three; you know the hyperactive stage of kids when they tend to explore things around them. Sad to say, some diagnosticians or phsychiatrists take advantage of this stage in a child's life and label them with AD/HD. That would hurt the child and the family!
Hey, in my country (Philippines), we are celebrating Teachers Day today. CHEERS TO YOU! You make a difference in the lives of your students.
OWEN, Yes, please lead your friend to my blog because I post a lot of special ed entries there, and also furnish her a copy of my latest entry so she'll be informed too.
HONEYPOOH, my daughter was very hyperactive during the "terrible two's and three's" stage, but she outgrew it and very prim and proper now that she's seven. She's very smart now because we allowed her to satisfy her curiosity and we let her explore her environment during the stage that she was craving for it. Don't worry, your son will be alright, mahinhin ka naman dati noong high school, baka magmana sayo eventually...
Hi Sol. This is the first time I've heard about the ADHD disorder, and the drug that is supposedly cure it. In our shore, such disorder it may just be mistaken as common slowness in thinking or just being "below average" in intelligence. The drug may be revolutionary in the end so I think in our country, our educators may need to recognize the reality of ADHD.
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