# Please Grade My Definition of ADD



## LarryCook (Sep 19, 2005)

Attention Deficit Disorder, n, 1. the normal state that an early elementary student reverts to when the classroom's central authority figure is removed and the child is left to function in a less structured, more autonomous environment (often referred to as "student-centered learning"); this disposition is frequently mistaken for a disorder by adults who believe that it is harmful to a child's psyche to have him or her sit still and pay attention under the instruction of teacher.


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## Me Died Blue (Sep 19, 2005)

I tend to agree, on that and other relating issues. So much of the classifications of psychologists and the like are a politically-correct, repackaged notion in their own fields of the "alcoholism is a disease" cop-out in that field. (Of course there could _never_ actually be _sin_ involved on the part of the person being classified as such, or a mysterious little phenomenon called _laziness_ on the part of the children being put in that boat...)


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## Augusta (Sep 19, 2005)

I home school and it is "student-centered learning" because I center it on keeping them learning the entire time despite the occasional whining or crying. 

On a more serious note while ADD is used as a crutch for students I don't think it doesn't exist. I think it can be worked through with the proper help just like dyslexia. I don't think you should medicate them. That doesn't help them with the root problem it just covers it. I have one spectrum child. My son is autistic. He is not on the severe end of the spectrum and is talking and reading. He would be doing neither if it weren't for 3 solid years of therapy 4 days a week. We have never medicated him. The reason it is now a spectrum is because there is such a variety of behaviors and no one person displays the same ones. Everyone probably displays at least one or two but that won't disable them enough to disrupt their lives or learning. To be diagnosed you would have to display many of these behaviors at one time and have them be disabling before you would be considered on the spectrum.

My son has to be taught everything differently than a normal child because he has a wall of "issues" that he has to work through to learn the smallest thing. Abstract things like tomorrow, or why? are the hardest. These things children usually grasp way before the school years. 

We have made some progress though by recognizing these behaviors. These people used to end up in the psychiatrists chair wondering why they were so different from everybody. Now they are recognizing it younger and you can be taught work arounds for your problem just like with dyslexia. 

They are also recognizing that meds don't help. Unfortunately a lot of parents want the quick fix. Therapy is not cheap. So docs are willing to give them meds and scoot them out of the office. If I had a child with an issue I would not start with the docs office. I would go to a Children's Hospital learning disabilities center or something and have them evaluated. My son goes to a place called Talk, Learn, and Communicate. Speech and language pathologists are the new frontier because alot of these problems reveal themselves in how you process information which directly pertains to reading, writing, and speech. A trained person can spot this stuff a mile away. 

[Edited on 9-19-2005 by Augusta]


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## CalsFarmer (Sep 19, 2005)

A+

Of course my daughters definition is: 

When you are not paying attention to what I am telling you. This is usually followed by 2 weeks of grounding. 

My grandson spent one school year grounded because he had ADD. Case of ADD has now vanished.


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## Richard King (Sep 19, 2005)

IF ADD actually exists I am the poster boy. Constantly distracted by shiney objects, rarely keeping a thought in my head for more than a minute, then off I go on a tangent. HOWEVER it amazed me when I was a nonth grade teacher to watch kids who claimed learning disabilities and ADD and all manner of inability...who became skilled at memorization and reading and test taking when it was time to test for a driver's license.


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## Richard King (Sep 19, 2005)

Make that NINTH grade instead of nonth and blame it on ...uh...dyslexic typing syndrome.


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## LarryCook (Sep 19, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Richard King_
> Make that NINTH grade instead of nonth and blame it on ...uh...dyslexic typing syndrome.





> _Originally posted by Richard King_
> Make that NINTH grade instead of nonth and blame it on ...uh...dyslexic typing syndrome.



I know what you mean, I had the same problem but after some extensive therapy my doc tells me I'm perfectly KO now.


Larry


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## LarryCook (Sep 19, 2005)

Traci,

Wow. It sounds like the Lord has really equipped you to handle your situation. I home school my 5th grader and so I can defiinitely relate to the "centeredness" issue (lol)... I am probably interested because I believe that this whole way of teaching sprouted from the adult learning theory (or several of them) that was being pioneered in the late 50s and early 60s . I first saw it as an army guy in the mid 70s with the Task, Condition, Standard and that has been reworded to OBE for the public schools. I also saw pressure to move from instructor centered (bad) to student centered (good) training in the classroom in the Coast Guard. (hmmm....I didn't capitalize army).

As for your son....I think I can say that along with me others will be praying for you and him. According to me you should be speaking on this subject in front of parents  or at the very least doing some writing. I think you might be very helpful to some very tired and confused parents.

Larry


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## LarryCook (Sep 19, 2005)

> _Originally posted by CalsFarmer_
> A+
> 
> Of course my daughters definition is:
> ...



Now that's funny. And oh by the way, do you ever attend the weekly Main Street BBQ in Euless? I missed it at least 30 times during work at flightsafety in Bedford because I wanted to go to Papa Deaux's (is that how you spell it?) So bottom line, I've never been but want to go.

Larry


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## Gregg (Sep 20, 2005)

I had a bad case of ADD in high school when my mind was focused more on riding dirt bikes after school instead of on my school work.

[Edited on 9-20-2005 by Gregg]


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## Poimen (Sep 20, 2005)

> _Originally posted by LarryCook_
> Attention Deficit Disorder, n, 1. the normal state that an early elementary student reverts to when the classroom's central authority figure is removed and the child is left to function in a less structured, more autonomous environment (often referred to as "student-centered learning"); this disposition is frequently mistaken for a disorder by adults who believe that it is harmful to a child's psyche to have him or her sit still and pay attention under the instruction of teacher.



I am assuming that this is supposed to be a serious discussion, and by no means am I making fun of you, but I chuckled to myself when I read this definition.

Reason? b/c it's so true...

:bigsmile:


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## Puritanhead (Sep 20, 2005)

I am afflicted by _Attention to Blonde Disorder_, which can only be cured by studying blondes... ahem, errr... I mean studying _with_ blondes, preferably the pretty twentysomething college girl... I am medicated as well; I take a prescription drug called _Blonderox_Â® which reduces the allure and shine of blond hair.



[Edited on 9-21-2005 by Puritanhead]


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## PuritanCovenanter (Sep 20, 2005)

> _Originally posted by CalsFarmer_
> A+
> 
> Of course my daughters definition is:
> ...



A+ for definition

I also had a child (My middle boy) grounded for over a year. He tried to see how long I would last. He lost. Can you spell Honor Roll.


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## PuritanCovenanter (Sep 20, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Puritanhead_
> I am afflicted by _Attention to Blonde Disorder_, which can only be cured by studying blondes... ahem, errr... I mean studying with blondes, prefederably the pretty twentysomething college girl... I am medicated as well; I take a prescription drug called _Blonderox_Â® which reduces the allure and shine of blond hair.



I love being old.


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## LarryCook (Sep 20, 2005)

> _I also had a child (My middle boy) grounded for over a year. He tried to see how long I would last. He lost. Can you spell Honor Roll. _


_

_


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## Richard King (Sep 21, 2005)

This is something I came across and was able to pay attention to long enough to decide...ADD is a gift. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it. Until I forget it.

http://articles.health.msn.com/id/100109339?GT1=6997


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## Augusta (Sep 21, 2005)

Great article Richard. Thanks. Yes people on the spectrum have eccentricities and may not be the most socially adept but they are very very intelligent. Alot of them score very high on IQ tests but put them in charge of details and they will melt down on you. Give them a something to obsess about and solve and they are your guy. They, like all of us, have their strengths and weaknesses. Theirs are just stronger on both ends. They are the ones that will try 1000 differnent ways to make a light bulb because they are driven. 

It takes all types.


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## Bladestunner316 (Sep 21, 2005)

Also might be beneficial is whether a child who has concentration difficulties to look at his diet and and vitamin intake.

blade


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## Bladestunner316 (Sep 29, 2005)

Another thing outside of my depression. Is with ADD (now Im not talking about children or adults who get classified under for an official lack of discipline) I have a difficult time staying focused. My mind feels as though it races - races I mean thought after thought going through uncontrolably. 

Now like I said a healthy lifestyle and diet can contribute greatly to a persons well being. As well as developing good habits, and developing a desire to learn and be taught. 

People can be generally classified under 1) just doing a task with no regards to having to be motivated or no general need to understand the menaing of what there doing. or 2) having to be motivated to accomplish a task, and needing to understand or know why something is being done. I would classify the more creative artistic person under the second. Cause some people just DO others are more Passionete about what they DO.

I generally when trying to do homework have trouble sitting and doing it for a long period of time. I tend to accomplish completing HW better when I mis it up with another task. By dividing my time between the two. I can see how some here think thats nuts. But for me it works. 

I also work better at night with less distraction and when it is more quite. I tend to wake up at night mentally. 

Mainly the point is to not shun a child or adult if they genuinelly have difficulting maintian a 'normal' attention span or dont qoute unqoute fit in with the norm for teaching. 

Make sure a persons diet and nutrients and other medical needs are taken care of preferably naturally. Also figure out a way of structruing a mode of study or task accomplishing. It may take numerous trys to get it right but in the end a person who genuinely has trouble with their attention span or concentration will be as or more productive then someone who has no difficulty in this area. 

Just my thoughts,
Blade


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