Tuesday, June 14, 2011
ADHD: Fictitious Epidemic?
I, like Sir Ken Robinson, am not qualified to determine whether ADHD is such a thing or not. I am not a health care professional - I'm an educator.
The purpose of this post is not to end the discussion because I've come to a conclusion which we must all adopt; rather, I simply want to continue this very important dialogue that affects a great deal of our children.
The first ten years of my teaching career were spent in middle school, but I've recently changed my teaching assignment - rather drastically, actually. I now teach in a "one-room school house" inside of the local hospital for children under the age of 18 who present a wide range of mental health related difficulties; ADHD is a popular one.
So now I have a question:
What kind of learning environment should I provide these students?
At first this question might seem benign: one might be quick to answer "whatever is best for the child's needs"... but it might not be that simple.
Here's what I mean: let's be honest, if everything was peachy with these kids at home and school, they might not be in the hospital in the first place. So while they are with me, we are trying to figure out how to help them so they can experience success in the world that they came from.
If I provide them with the traditional sit-and-get, in your desk, in your row, remain seated, raise your hand, be quiet, do your worksheet, study for and write your test - kind of education, I will end up providing far different observations and assessments than if I provided the students with a more differentiated and engaging education that more appropriately meets their needs.
But if I provide a differentiated learning environment that broadens the definition of real learning and achievement (beyond just getting kids to do whatever it is we want them to do), might it be possible that these students would need less medication? And yet, might it be possible that these students would need more medication in order to "properly" fit into their traditional sit-and-get schooling?
At the very least, could it be possible that school needs to change at least as much as the kids? To take this further, could it be that our current, narrow definition of school is at least as much of the problem (if not more) as the kids?
I fear that at the end of their stay, many of these children will return to a school that will want to know if the child has changed enough to properly fit the system's needs when it might be more appropriate for the school to ask how the system will change to meet the child's needs.
What do you think?
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I have two kids who are being treated for ADHD. Having an attention system that takes in new information and stimuli rapidly is fantastic, until you have to sit in school all day, in which case, your neurology no longer fits the demands of your environment. I would love it if school were a place where my kids could explore more, work on projects, and use their strengths to their fullest, like they will be able to later on in life. However, right now, society has said they need to learn a very long list of fundamental skills, and need to stay focused in the classroom, regardless of the material or how it is presented.
ReplyDeleteI agree, in a classroom with a teacher who differentiates, medicating these kids might not be an issue- they will better fit in to their environment. But the question is, how do we make classrooms all over the country flexible enough for all the kinds of minds in it?
Differentiation is an answer, and that's why I wrote the Differentiated Instruction Book of Lists with Jenifer Fox, to help classroom teachers start to find ways to make differentiation work day to day, rather than seem more like a platonic ideal that sounds nice but they have no idea where to start.
I think we have to start facing the facts that the "standard classroom" and acceptable behavior has become narrower and narrower over the years, and it's time for the pendulum to start swinging the other way, especially since we know so much more about how the brain works, functions and develops.
Hello Joe, thanks for the thoughtful comments. I have no great answers to your questions, but I do want to recommend a blog called SpeEd Change, which has some of the most challenging ideas I've read about what disability means. This post called When Rethinking School Itself might be of use.
ReplyDelete@wsh1266: I agree that we have a steep hill to climb before we can comfortably say that we have an education system that properly differentiates for our children's diverse needs; however, rather than seeing this as a situation to resign ourselves or our children to, I see it as a problem to be solved.
ReplyDeleteIf we don't address these issues in our time, our children will have to do all this with their children.
@shiftingphases.com - thanks for the link. Ira does remarkable work.
"At the very least, could it be possible that school needs to change at least as much as the kids? To take this further, could it be that our current, narrow definition of school is at least as much of the problem (if not more) as the kids?" Quite simply, Joe ... YES.
ReplyDeleteI too believe there is a mass over diagnosis of ADHD. I also believe that we need to have a more authentic, experiential education for all children. We do not, en masse, and sadlywhat happens is this:
ReplyDeleteMost children respond really well to having that opportunity in their school years. They embrace it, and eagerly look for more. Some may even demand it. They quickly adapt and learn the importance of using a variety of materials, as well as working cooperatively, without constant guidance (prison guard monitoring).
The children who struggle with this have experienced YEARS of the worksheet, disengaging curriculum. They have come to learn that school is not a place where they will be honored, and that their needs (them) are not important. So even given the opportunity, throw it away. It is almost as if they think it's too good to be true. Or if they know it is true, they have been so loaded with worksheets and workbooks that they have no idea how to work without someone standing sentinel, constantly telling them to get back to work. Often times a year is not enough time to convince them or Provide them with the necessary habits that will helpmthem be successful in life.
It breaks my heart to hear tales of ignored children. Hopefully, we can change this one classroom, one school, one district at a time.
I don't know what the answer is either but I DO know that the old, "institution" model of public education is out of sync with the needs of today's students--the vast majority of them. I keep coming back to the central problem though, we need resources, support, and funding to meet student needs and our society (at least here in the states) does not match its actions to it's words on that front. I have often said that education would look MUCH different if actual educators were making the "big decisions." I think that is also true in this case. How many of us are expected to "control" our classrooms via the old model--the model we know is ineffective?
ReplyDeleteJoe et al - have you ever read anything by Peter Breggin? He's an anti-psychiatry psychiatrist who's written extensively about all kinds of 'medicalizing' of human issues....very well-researched, also - it could blow your mind.
ReplyDeleteTry 'Talking Back to Ritalin' for ADHD issues...or 'The War Against Children of Color'...or breggin.com or breggin.org.