Dear Sir,
It was with some interest that I read the article What You Should Know About Attention Deficit Disorder by Edward W. after having it handed to me by a member of our church. There were elements of the article that were insightful, helpful, and needed to be said in a public forum, especially the discussion of the moral and spiritual dimensions of behavior. For this part of the article I applaud Mr. W.
However, Mr. W's discussion on the physiological/biological aspects of ADD ADHD was lacking to the point of being misleading to the readers. I am sure that Mr. Welch had no intention of misleading any readers, as that would hardly reflect the "biblical guidelines with which to understand ADD" that he seeks to communicate. Therefore, for the sake of clarifying some details, may I present the following evidence. Perhaps in the near future you would run an article that would present some of this information to your readers, so that they have an accurate understanding of the disorder.
We continue the dialogue here in part two.
"First, ADD is not a precisely circumscribed set of symptoms. The ever-present "often" in the diagnostic criteria betrays the loose boundaries of ADD, and it explains why Americans use the diagnosis so frequently. Almost anyone can squeeze into the parameters - at least on certain days." - p 59
This statement is also potentially misleading to the readers. "The ever-present 'often' in the diagnostic criteria?" is very similar to the "ever present" "nearly every day" in the diagnostic criteria for Depression. The "often" is simply a realistic description of life for individuals with ADD. It is not "always" as with a structural head injury. It is "often" because it is the result of neurological mechanisms being "often" under-aroused and "often" under-performing.
". . . and it explains why Americans use the diagnosis so frequently." Studies show that 3% to 5% of the population has ADHD. Over-diagnosis, if there is any, is not due to the diagnostic criteria, but rather to a lack of a comprehensive diagnostic work-ups by most physicians.
"Almost anyone can squeeze into the parameters - at least on certain days."
This is misleading to the readers, and simply not true. Remember, the DSM-IV also includes these important, and highly discriminating, criteria:
The reality is that barely anyone can "squeeze into these parameters." But about 5% of the population can. It is careless to suggest that "anyone? at least on certain days" can meet the diagnostic criteria. It also conveys a negative picture of those who do actually suffer with the condition.
Would you publish a statement that read, "Almost anyone can squeeze into the parameters of Alzheimer's - at least on certain days?" I would certainly hope not, and yet it is published in connection with ADHD. This is disappointing.
"Second, ADD is a description of behavior, not an explanation. It tries to describe symptoms rather than explain the causes of those symptoms." - 59
Again misleading, and out of context. The authors of the DSM-IV themselves point out that they make no attempts to describe the etiology of any of the 300 or more diagnostic categories ranging from Alzheimer's to Trichotillomania. It is not the purpose of the diagnostic criteria to explain the cause of a disorder, only to categorize the disorder in a realistic manner so that it can (1) be treated successfully, and (2) be researched effectively.
It is from the research that we find the explanation of the causes of ADHD, not from the diagnostic criteria. It is also disappointing that no research in the field was noted, as it would have been helpful to your readers. This leads to the next quote from Mr. Welch:
"The reason it is important to distinguish between description and explanation is that the ADD literature typically does not distinguish between them. Most discussions about ADD assume that the list of descriptions is equivalent to establishing a medical diagnosis."
The point is that the purpose of the diagnostic criteria is to establish a medical diagnosis. And the purpose of the diagnosis is for successful treatment and efficient research.
"The popular assumption is that there is an underlying biological cause for the behaviors, but the assumption is unfounded. Although there are dozens of biological theories to explain ADD, there are presently no physical markers for it; there are no medical tests that detect its presence. Food additives, birth and delivery problems, inner ear problems, and brain differences are only a few of the theories that are? unsupported by evidence."
There are, in fact, biological causes for the behaviors. Now, what are the "behaviors" that we are talking about? The "behaviors" of the diagnostic criteria. We are not talking about behaviors with a moral basis such as hitting your sister. We are talking about the specific behaviors of the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for ADHD which are described above.
This is the end to part two of this discussion. You can learn more about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder by visiting the ADHD Information Library's family of web sites, beginning with http://www.add101.com.
Douglas Cowan, Psy.D., is a family therapist who has been working with ADHD children and their families since 1986. He is the clinical director of the ADHD Information Library's family of seven web sites, including http://www.add101.com, helping over 350,000 parents and teachers learn more about ADHD each year. Dr. Cowan also serves on the Medical Advisory Board of VAXA International of Tampa, FL., is President of the Board of Directors for KAXL 88.3 FM in central California, and is President of NewIdeas.net Incorporated.
Culver prom limo ..Q. My teenage son is turning 16 early next year... Read More
Until the moment I became a mother, I couldn't quite... Read More
Does music need to be "dumbed-down" for kids? The answer... Read More
Imagine yourself lying flat on your back, totally strapped down... Read More
Home schooling. What is it? What does it mean to... Read More
Nurture and TeachThe single most important thing caregivers can do... Read More
Why Me?"We should certainly count our blessings, but we should... Read More
What parent hasn't gone into a son's or daughter's room... Read More
The time you will need to teach your children the... Read More
"I could have helped you if I would have known,... Read More
Do you praise your child when he fulfils a basic... Read More
In the wonderment of childhood, it is easier for a... Read More
A tall, weary-looking mother with glasses, walked into my counseling... Read More
Public-school teaching is structured in such a way that it... Read More
MYTH: If you have not parented as well as you... Read More
"There is nothing new under the sun," states Ecclesiastes 1:9.... Read More
In the news, we hear and see an increasing number... Read More
In dealing with children with autism spectrum disorders, its all... Read More
Bath time can be fun or it can be a... Read More
Most of us really don't like it when someone is... Read More
If You're Having Twins..is it double the headache, or double... Read More
Often, the struggle at dinnertime with your picky eater is... Read More
My daughters and I went to the beach several weeks... Read More
"I wipe my baby's chin with my college diploma and... Read More
Not many things are more upsetting than discovering that your... Read More
Wood Dale limo ..O.K. So now you have taken the step of having... Read More
Many reasons will cause some people to feel the need... Read More
Detox To Conceive.. If you're having trouble conceiving... Read More
Did you know there's a game children and parents play... Read More
Angie was brought up by rigid, authoritarian parents who kept... Read More
One of the most important aspects of parenting, is ensuring... Read More
When I was pregnant, we knew that we had some... Read More
(Excerpted from Jim Rohn's 2004 Weekend Leadership Event)You have to... Read More
Having worked with parents for the last 35 years and... Read More
Is your baby approaching his or her first birthday and... Read More
Many people consider plush toys great for children. They say... Read More
On a bright Sunday morning, a couple of weeks ago,... Read More
If you really want to get your children to eat... Read More
Self-reliance and potential are two very important values that I'd... Read More
Reading to your child at a young age is one... Read More
Managing money is one of the most critical skills we... Read More
Bedtime and children's sleep habits can cause nightmares - for... Read More
21 Reasons I Love Being A DadWhat you will read... Read More
``Mom, can I go to the mall with my friend... Read More
1. They can make mistakes under your guidance2. They will... Read More
1. Make stronger connections among individuals and, therefore, creates a... Read More
1 "Law of Belonging": The greatest need of teenagers (after... Read More
Q. My teenage son is turning 16 early next year... Read More
I WAS AMAZEDI could hardly believe what I was hearing.... Read More
The 21st Century Problem in Schools: Bullying, and How to... Read More
Parenting |