It was obvious to
Tracey's parents and teachers that she was suffering from a disorder. She
looked bright. She was eager to learn and could speak when she was two.
However, she could not read or write. She seemed to have great difficulty
getting started. She was easily distracted. In school, she would be watching
other children walking outside, or children doing physical education in the
school field.
At home it would be the
telephone ringing, the sound of television in the family room or the sounds of
cooking in the kitchen. She would get started on her homework but took so long
to finish that she often turned in incomplete work. Her grades suffered. Her
parents, especially her father who was a college lecturer, accused her of not
working hard enough. She became depressed and felt a dark hopelessness. After a
lot of hard work she scraped through her SPM examination. Her depression pushed
her mother into sending her to consult a clinical psychologist who was also a
specialist in learning disorders. He did some tests and diagnosed ADD,
Attention Deficit Disorder or MBD, Minimal Brain Disorder.
ADD affects the brain
and how it works. Tracey's parents were horrified to learn that there is no
'cure' for the disorder but it can be treated. In other words, those affected
can be taught how to live with it. It exists in varying degrees and it is
difficult to describe the exact symptoms. Some people seem to suffer from more
severe forms than others. It is also a disorder that cuts across race, economic
conditions, age and sex. Some researchers suggest that in most cases, the
disorder is genetic, that is, it is passed from parent to child. Some brilliant
people are now recognized as having had ADD. Among them are the writers George
Bernard Shaw and Edgar Allan Poe, the physicist Albert Einstein and the
prolific inventor Thomas Edison. There were numerous anecdotes of Edison
starting a project then losing interest and leaving it to others to complete it
for him. Most parents are not impressed when they are told of other famous
people who may have had ADD. They want to be helped.
Parents and teachers
are aware that more often than not, ADD sufferers drop out of school. It is sad
that most educators realize a problem exists, but they do not have the time or
the expertise to deal with the odd or special individuals in their crowded
classrooms.
ADD is diagnosed as
both a physical and a psychological problem. One common symptom that causes
problems to caregivers is hyperactivity. Some hyperactive children require very
little sleep. They wander around the house at night and need constant
supervision. Some of them have little sense of danger. They therefore often end
up with cuts and fractured limbs. Out of desperation, some parents allow
doctors to prescribe a drug called Ritalin. The drug's purpose is to reduce the
sufferer's activity level and improve his concentration. Unfortunately, only
about 25 per cent of sufferers respond to the drug. In other words, there is no
magic cure.
When a person is sent
to be evaluated, an expert looks carefully for signs of coordination problems,
mild speech disorders or deficiencies in the intellectual area. As the expert
probes further, he gives more tests. The comprehensive tests can cause distress
to both sufferer and caregivers.
Sufferers are given
psychotherapy and for the whole family counseling is provided. There is always
the possibility that ADD sufferers will end up with low self-esteem. They are
confused by their lack of achievement in spite of their efforts and hurt by
accusations of laziness or even worse, stupidity. It is believed that as many
as 5 percent of Malaysians suffer from ADD, but are unaware of the problem.
Summary: Attention Deficit
Disorder sufferers have great difficulty paying attention. They are easily
distracted by sounds and movement. It is a disorder that affects the brain.
Sufferers are taught to live with it. The disorder exists in varying degrees
and victims show different symptoms. It cuts across race, sex and economic
status. Its cause could be genetic. Some brilliant people like Thomas Edison,
may have had ADD. Young victims appear to need little sleep and have little
sense of physical danger. Some specialists recommend the drug, Ritalin. This
helps reduce the activity level. Unfortunately, only 25 per cent of victims
respond to it. It is only after many tests that victims are prescribed drugs.
Psychotherapy is often recommended for the whole family. Sadly, ADD sufferers
often end up with low self-esteem.
This is a horrifically ignorant article about ADHD (it was changed from ADD in 1987). It is packed full on inaccurate information, it frames ADHD incredibly negatively and serves to enforce the stigma we associate with mental health conditions. My grade 8 son's class was just asked to summarize this article for English. It undid years of work we have done to try to frame ADHD as positively and shame-free as possible. You need to remove this article so that no other Teachers use this and spread awful, negative and inaccurate information about a brain condition that 1/20 kids are currently diagnosed with.
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