Ants in your pants?

I don't think I can express how much I LOVE this cartoon. It is classic! How often do we look at a kid who has some trouble staying focused or sitting still and automatically say, "He needs to be put in Special Ed." or "His parents need to put him on medication." In some cases, that may be beneficial or even necessary, but not usually. Most behavioral difficulties are not a result of some chemical imbalance -- they are usually learned behaviors. Don't get me wrong, I don't think ADHD is a crock. Some people truely have ADHD; however, it is rare (about 3-5% of the population) and is overdiagnosed. Lack of structure, lack of motivation, lack of clear and reasonable expectations at school can all lead to problem behavior that looks like ADHD. Take a kid from a family where he was never expected to sit down and attend to a task, has never had to follow a routine or set of rules, or had to socialize with other children appropriately. Add a lack of food or sleep to the mix and kids (particularly those from impoverished backgrounds) are probably going to show some extreme behavioral challenges when placed in a school environment. This doesn't mean they have something chemically wrong with them and need to be doped up (besides the fact that research shows that medication is only effective about 2/3 of time for real ADHD anyway). It means that they need to be taught in a highly structured environment and taught how to behave appropriately.

Moral of the story for teachers and parents:
1. Stop referring kids to special education just because your child/student has some problem or bizarre behaviors -- it is a waste of time and resources to test these kids for a nonexistent disability.
2. Stop blaming problem behavior on an inner child characteristic (which may not even be there) and recognize that the environment you set up for the child has just as much impact on behavior, if not more, than any inward predisposition toward problem behavior.
3. Focus on teaching your child/student how to behave and how to be successful in school -- medication is not going to teach your kid how succeed or act appropriately-- sorry, there is no magic pill!

*That being said, some children do truely have ADHD and would benefit from medication. It can be effective in controlling impulses and hyperactivity. But medication is not a cure all -- the kid still needs to be taught how to behave appropriately and how to monitor his own behavior if he is going to be successful at school and in life.*