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Re: ADD

Wilbur Streett wrote:
>
> At 06:47 PM 10/21/96 -0700, you wrote:
> >   The reason that it is useful to label people is that it makes it a little
> > easier find a place to begin from.  Labels are useful if you realise that
> > they are labels and not the person.  They give you a general map of the
> > teritory.
>
> People are NOT labels.  ADD is a nominalization of the issue.

  Thank you for seeing my point that people are not labels.

>Good, we have a name for it, we have a drug that fixes it, this kid is
>messed up.  Did you ever stop to think that maybe the kid is fine and the
>situation that he is in is screwed up?
>

  Of course the situation is screwed up _and_ he is screwed up.
Having one kid destroy the learning experiences of a whole
classroom(sometimes 20+ other students) does no one any good.  Not only that
but there are thousands of kids in the same situation that do not behave in
disruptive ways, so the kid does need some kind of help.  It would be nice to
live in a world where every kid with problems has unlimited access to the
help that they need but it just doesn't happen in the real world.

  One problem with diagnosis is that almost anyone can say this kid is ADD
without having the training and knowledge needed to make a good diagnosis.
So some teacher has a rowdy kid in class and she tells the parents he is ADD,
the parents freak out and tell their Dr. the kid is ADD, so the Dr.
proscribes ritalin.  What's wrong with this picture.  How about a qualified
psychologist or counselor who actually sits down with the kid and finds out
if he actually has ADD.

  I am not saying that diagnosis or labeling is always good, I recongnize
that it can and does have negative consequenses.  I am saying that a
diagnosis by a qualified professional is an important step in treatment.