| When most parents decide to medicate their | | | | as the child's real teacher. So instead of using |
| ADD/ADHD child they rarely consider the hidden | | | | good behavioral and communication strategies |
| message and the underlying psychological | | | | with a child in a conflict, a parent might well ask, |
| implications. | | | | 'Did you take your pill?' And rather than changing |
| Thomas Armstrong in his ground-breaking book | | | | the curriculum to one that's more appropriate for |
| "The Myth Of The A.D.D. Child" says "There may | | | | a child's individual academic needs, a teacher might |
| be an even deeper message we're sending to | | | | be more likely to attribute a child's problems to |
| children when we use medication instead of | | | | ADD and refer him to a physician for possible |
| mediation to improve behavior and attention span: | | | | medication." |
| ' To be successful - to be an okay person - you | | | | Once the child begins medication and the |
| need to take a drug.' Studies indicate that children | | | | symptoms of hyperactivity, poor attention span |
| taking Ritalin may have a tendency to attribute | | | | etc. diminish, parents and teachers assume that |
| their improved behaviors and academic | | | | the problem is solved. So no effort is made to |
| performances to the drug and not to their own | | | | work on underlying learning problems, if they exist. |
| internal efforts." | | | | These problems often fester under the surface |
| Research into the psychological implications of | | | | and are often only detected once they have |
| relying on a drug to control hyperactivity found | | | | become huge and difficult to resolve. |
| that the children felt that the pill rather than their | | | | Do you want to teach your child that pills hold the |
| own efforts were responsible for improved | | | | answer to all of life's ills? Or would you rather |
| behavior. | | | | equip your child for life by teaching him the |
| Children actually began to believe that the little pill | | | | life-skills he needs? Skills such as healthy eating |
| is responsible for them completing the | | | | habits, organizational skills, exam taking skills and |
| schoolwork, cleaning their rooms and even making | | | | goal setting skills. |
| friends. | | | | Developing life skills that will help your child to |
| Conversely they blame their poor behavior, bad | | | | succeed is the main aim and purpose of The |
| grades, breaking the rules and so forth on | | | | Make Your ADD Child A Winner Parenting |
| forgetting to take medication. | | | | Program. The program focuses on developing 1 |
| Do you really want your child to grow up feeling | | | | skill every fortnight with assignments every week |
| that he/she has to pop a pill in order to be okay, | | | | so that the skills become part of your child's life. |
| acceptable and even successful. | | | | Wouldn't you rather help your child develop skills |
| Thomas Armstrong goes on further to say "The | | | | instead of learning to pop pills? |
| effect of all this is that drugs begin to supplant life | | | | |