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The Lord is the strength of my life and my portion forever.

When I was in medical school in the 1960s, what we now call attention-deficit/hyperactive disorder (ADHD) was considered rare. Today, the American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that between 4 and 12 percent of school-age children have ADHD, a condition marked by symptoms ranging from hyperactivity to a propensity to daydream. I’m troubled by this huge increase in ADHD, and wonder if more children are truly afflicted, or whether our tolerance for acceptable childhood behavior has changed. Could we be pushing kids too hard to excel academically?

Equally disturbing to me is that the use of Ritalin and similar medications by preschoolers (some as young as age two tripled during the first half of the 1990s, according to a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The majority of those prescriptions, researchers say, were written for kids diagnosed with ADHD. I worry about exposing a young, developing brain to such powerful drugs. I also fear we may be too focused on labeling and medicating our kids rather than exploring other roots of the problem, which may range from a learning disability or problems at home to depression or even boredom.

Our explanation for the rising incidence of ADHD is that its definition has evolved and expanded over time. For example, it’s no longer necessary to be hyperactive to be diagnosed with ADHD – children who are considered “inattentive” or “dreamy” often receive the same diagnosis and prescription for Ritalin. Adding to the confusion is that there’s currently no objective test for ADHD; practitioners instead depend on the patient’s history and an assessment of symptoms by parents and teachers that can be vague and open to interpretation.

I don’t doubt that ADHD exists, but I suspect that many ADHD patients have been misdiagnosed. ADHD is largely and American phenomenon, with more children being diagnosed here than in most other countries. Some experts think the increasing fast pace of our society has created an environment that may be too stimulating for many kids. Edward Hallowell, MD, co-author of Driven to Distraction, a popular book on the subject, believes millions of Americans really have “pseudo-ADHD.” That is, they ADHD-like symptoms such as disorganization, frustration, and a need for super-stimulation. Meanwhile, advocacy groups insist that ADHD is a neurobiological disorder – the result of disordered brain chemistry – but this has yet to be fully proven.

Proponents of Ritalin say that it makes kids calmer and more focused, and some feel it should be the primary treatment for ADHD. However, Ritalin appears to “work” on anyone, whether they have ADHD or not, casting doubt on the idea that I corrects a chemical imbalance. What’s more, the drug must be taken on an ongoing basis to maintain its benefits. In addition, the drug’s side effects range from decreased appetite, nervousness, and palpitations to headaches, insomnia, and the potential for addiction. Even as more youngsters are taking Ritalin, there’s a lack of long-term studies of the drug in children and of any such studies in toddlers. Research also suggests that Ritalin without additional therapy makes no difference in the long-term outcome of children with ADHD.

Although I believe that Ritalin can reduce symptoms of ADHD and may be helpful in sever cases, I’m concerned that it doesn’t teach coping skills and may mask other problems. Rather than turning to medication, I think that many kids diagnosed with ADHD may simply require different ways of learning. Some children just aren't suited to sitting in a conventional classroom, focused solely on traditional subjects, but might excel in more-flexible educational settings that include hands-on skills, such as art or music.

If your child has been diagnosed with ADHD, I encourage you to get a second opinion, preferable from a psychiatrist. Don’t accept ADHD symptoms and behaviors as a physical disease, but consider them as an imbalance between your child’s natural personality and the demands of his or her environment. Consider family counseling as a way to learn new parenting techniques and coping skills. Speak to your child’s teacher about different learning options. Before giving your child Ritalin, experiment with alternative therapies – the martial arts, which allow children to work out their energy while teaching discipline, may be particularly helpful. Other options worth exploring include biofeedback, homeopathy, cranial osteopathy, and dietary changes.

Andrew Weil, Self Healing, August 2000, p.8.

[This message has been edited by Cathy Sears (edited July 27, 2000).]

I have a healthy, "normal," ACTIVE 2 year old boy and so I tend to be around other parents of such. I have been concerned by the number of them who seem to want to raise a superchild or genius of some sort.

Any thoughts on this?

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Chose you this day whom you will serve,
as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Joshua 24:15

What is popular is not always right.
What is right is not always popular.

It is true that there really is such a brain disorder as ADD/ADHD. But it is just as true that people & doctors in this country are too quick to jump on whatever quick-fix solution they can find for problems with their children or their health, instead of looking deeper to find the root cause. And there are many children who are diagnosed as having ADD or ADHD, whose only real problem is that they don't fit into the mold society wants to force them into.

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The Lord is the strength of my life and my portion forever.

Apparently it's being used by a lot more adults than was previously thought. The article suggested that some adults are trying to get their kids diagnosed to they can take some themselves.

I'm sorry I don't have a solid reference for this, but I think I read it last month on the ABC News Wire Service.

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Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and always be prayerful. Rom. 12:12 NLT

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The Lord is the strength of my life and my portion forever.

Metronome said to help ADHD

March 9, 2001
Web posted at: 11:01 a.m. EST (1601 GMT)

From Rhonda Rowland --CNN Medical Correspondent

WESTON, Florida (CNN) -- A new study suggests that a metronome device may help children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder concentrate better. But many ADHD experts are questioning the results of the research.

ADHD is thought to affect 3 percent to 5 percent of school-aged children in the United States, most of them boys. The developmental disorder, characterized by inattention and behavioral problems, is generally treated with medications such as Ritalin or with various behavioral therapies.

One of those therapies involves performing various tasks -- clapping, tapping the foot -- to the beat of a metronome.

The technique originated with Tom Eggleston, whose 14-year-old son Jimmy has ADHD. Eggleston noted that Jimmy seemed to improve after taking piano lessons with a metronome.

He was so impressed, he started a company, Interactive Metronome, to market a metronome device as an ADHD treatment tool.

The new research, published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy, appears to bear out Eggleston's experience. Fifty-six boys took part in the study.

"Their attention improved, their motor planning and sequencing improved. They had improvement in selected academic skills involving reading and some math capacities," said Dr. Stanley Greenspan, a child psychiatrist who conducted the research. Greenspan is also an advisor to Interactive Metronome.

Not all ADHD specialists are convinced. They say the study was too small to draw conclusions and point out that children who used the metronome did little better than those who played video games instead.

"There's probably no harm in doing it," said Dr. Rebecca Fewell of the University of Miami. But she stresses more study is needed to determine whether it's truly effective.

"Let the researchers experiment and provide us a little more evidence on these new techniques before we expose our children to them and think it will make a big difference," she said.

But many parents aren't waiting.

Alyssa Loeffler tried the therapy with her 8-year-old son, Ryan, with good results.

"His teacher was telling me, 'This is a different child,'" she explained. "She couldn't believe Ryan was doing all his work and that he was sitting in his seat and he was attentive."

The interactive metronome is available in 300 hospitals and clinics across the U.S., administered by therapists who have had 15 hours of training. It's not designed to replace existing therapies, but to complement them.

For parents who believe they've seen a difference in their children, the therapy has been worth it, despite lingering questions.