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The modern psychology/psychiatry has advanced tremendously in recent years, especially in the early diagnosis, early intervention field. Many children with diseases such as Auticism are getting treatment that help them with basic motor skills, interaction with others, and language development. I have a friend who's an autistic children's therapist. I found her work especially gratifying.
Every coin has two sides. I have been very concerned with what I think as over dignosis on minor diseases such as ADHD in children. It seems to me the doctors are very quick putting kids on drugs such as Ritlin. I see this practice a symtom of our ever impatient socienty looking for a quick cure for anything out of the norm. According to the American Acadamy of Child and Adolenscent Psychiatry, (http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/children_who_cant_pay_attention/adhd)
"(ADHD) affects between 3 to 5 percent of all children, perhaps as many as two million American youngsters. Two to three times more boys than girls are affected, though the disorder is being identified increasingly in girls. On the average, at least one or two teens in every classroom in the United States need help for the disorder."
Now here is my question, why does it happen more to boys than girls? We all know that boys are born differently. They are more active, energetic, and have shorter attention spans. Could it be that the classrooms are less tolerant to the boyish behaviors that leads to these ADHD diagnosis? If you look at the symptom list of ADHD,
trouble paying attention
inattention to details and makes careless mistakes
easily distracted
loses school supplies, forgets to turn in homework
trouble finishing class work and homework
trouble listening
trouble following multiple adult commands
blurts out answers
impatience
fidgets or squirms
leaves seat and runs about or climbs excessively
seems "on the go"
talks too much and has difficulty playing quietly
interrupts or intrudes on others
does it show you fairly typical youngsters (especially boys), or someone with psychological issues? I think in many cases kids need patient nurturing and education, not drugs. And if they can't change the way they behave, maybe as a society they can be tolerated, as long as they're not harming anyone else.
I'm no fan of Tom Cruise. I think his attack on Brooke Shields was foolish and sexist. However I do agree with him on the children issue. We are indeed overusing Ritalin. I don't doubt there are cases where medication are necessary. But I don't think 5% of our children need them. I love my flawed children. I don't need to fix them to become desinger kids.
不好意思，本来想敲中文，后来发现实在太困难了。 |
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