tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8318734518772387227.post6629675112231577991..comments2024-03-28T05:35:07.354-04:00Comments on Lisa Nielsen: The Innovative Educator: Passion (Not Drugs) As Treatment for ADD/ADHDLisa Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07759123507185453030noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8318734518772387227.post-59049250722167759882011-01-29T20:33:10.842-05:002011-01-29T20:33:10.842-05:00wondering if you've seen John Hagel's post...wondering if you've seen John Hagel's post on the neurobiology of passion: http://edgeperspectives.typepad.com/edge_perspectives/2011/01/passion-and-plasticity-the-neurobiology-of-passion.html<br /><br />a lot of great insight into passion on his blog. especially in regard to how we can move forward with it as a legit means to thriving.monika hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17903730727359304285noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8318734518772387227.post-33282185251906318762011-01-27T08:49:44.869-05:002011-01-27T08:49:44.869-05:00I'm curious if you have any specific online re...I'm curious if you have any specific online resources where parents and teachers can direct students or find ideas to help them. I've heard much about how online learning can help students who don't fit the system because of personal issues, bullying, medical reasons, learning disabilities, etc., or because they were more advanced in some subject areas. Some of those "trouble" kids actually graduated early from high school as a result. Is there any kind of clearinghouse web site for this info?Heidihttp://www.thinkhmm.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8318734518772387227.post-60503076944407310892011-01-25T15:44:27.482-05:002011-01-25T15:44:27.482-05:00Pat,
Thanks for chiming back in to this important ...Pat,<br />Thanks for chiming back in to this important conversation. This is an area of personal frustration to me for many reasons beyond what I’ve shared on my blog. The reality is that I know of children whose doctors are the ones that prescribe weekend/summers off meds. Ugh. <br /><br />You are correct too. In the traditional school setting, many people’s hands are tied. Teachers, parents, students. The way most industrial models of school are structured, what you say is correct. I’m saying we need to offer more alternative models for students. <br /><br />If you’ve been following my blog lately, you’ll see I’ve become deeply interested in free/dom/un/home schooling. My suspicion was that the numbers of children in such environments on ADHD meds would be much lower than those in traditional settings. Surprisingly, and coincidentally, I just added an addendum to my post that touched on this very issue. Please re-read the end of my post.<br /><br />The alternatives that I recommend are finding a school that addresses the child’s needs. One that honors his/her passions, like those I wrote about in my post. Or...if possible, providing such opportunities outside of school. I understand having a parent at home is not feasible for many families, but for some it is. Also, after the age of 14-or-so, for many adolescents, a parent home the whole day is unnecessary.Lisa Nielsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07759123507185453030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8318734518772387227.post-20437675964262940872011-01-25T15:23:42.279-05:002011-01-25T15:23:42.279-05:00Thanks, Lisa, for your clarifying remarks; I truly...Thanks, Lisa, for your clarifying remarks; I truly appreciate hearing different perspectives on this issue, even through I may disagree with them. At the risk of stirring the pot (or worse, sounding tedious), a few quick points if I may:<br /><br />I would be quite interested in hearing more about the alternatives to medication that should be "explored deeply" by parents and educators. In dealing with with my son and countless students over the past 20+ years, I've found these "suggestions" often to be (1) totally unrealistic for a teacher in a self-contained classroom with 30+ students (or a student load of 150 - 200 middle/high school kids) and/or (2) totally unrealistic for the child because he is physically/chemically incapable of regulating his brain functions. <br /><br />Good teaching practices might reach students on the cusp of ADHD, and any pediatrician deserving of his/her license would only prescribe medication to these kids as a last resort. For the rest, though, ADHD meds are not dispensed merely to alleviate the "symptoms that schools cause" but rather to allow these children to focus and function. It pains me whenever I hear the suggestion that kids should be taken off their meds on weekends and during the summer because they only need them for school; you either need them or you don't, and that determination should only be made in consultation with an MD.<br /><br />Hopefully we can all get on board with the idea that good teaching benefits every child, not just those with attention issues, and collectively acknowledge that ADHD should not be a "catch all" label for behavioral issues. When it comes to diagnosis and treatment, though, I'm not comfortable with the assertion that passion is a viable solution for a psychiatric disorder.Patrick Woessnerhttp://pwoessner.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8318734518772387227.post-44400024317985386842011-01-25T14:19:28.544-05:002011-01-25T14:19:28.544-05:00@Patrick Woessner and @John T. Spencer, I acknowle...@Patrick Woessner and @John T. Spencer, I acknowledge ADHD is a medical condition. I also acknowledge that there are "some" people who "may" need meds. My contention is they should NOT be prescribed as the first resort or even second resort (as often is the case), but rather after other options are deeply explored. This does not happen enough. Upon exploring other options parents /educators often learn meds are not necessary.<br /><br />I don't blame parents or teachers nor do I think they are duped. I know there are children who can't sit in class and medication helps that. I was one of those kids and I am one of those adults However, rather than drug kids so they can sit in class, I say don't make them sit in class.<br /><br />The pharma industry is spending exorbitant amounts of money convincing parents and educators that these drugs are the miracle cure. They fund studies and hire doctors to tell them just that. And, for many they are the cure for student success in the industrial school model.<br /><br />Yes ADHD is a medical condition, but it is a condition that can be treated for some by letting them pursue passions. . There are many talented and successful individuals who were told they ADD or ADHD or hyperactive, etc. Many such people have found that when given the chance they were actually brilliant programmers, or dancers, or musicians or athletes, etc. etc. who didn't need medication when empowered to let passion drive learning.<br /><br />If other options are deeply explored and it is determined that medicating is in the child's best interest, in some cases it makes sense. However, I often find other options are not explored deeply. Instead, medication is the most commonly prescribed solution.Lisa Nielsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07759123507185453030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8318734518772387227.post-55594961142592296912011-01-25T13:42:46.975-05:002011-01-25T13:42:46.975-05:00While I generally agree that some students find sc...While I generally agree that some students find school boring, I also believe that the causes and consequences are much more complicated than common perceptions. Some children have little attention span because they are distracted multi-taskers. Some children struggle because school isn't a great fit for them. <br /><br />However, ADD / ADHD is a medical condition and there are a plethora of doctors who have studied it. Saying simply "no drugs are necessary" denies a medical reality. Simply saying "more passion" isn't much better than prescribing "more self-control" to an individual. <br /><br />Sometimes medication is a necessity.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10956056168256756705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8318734518772387227.post-23564201345740264192011-01-25T11:45:27.133-05:002011-01-25T11:45:27.133-05:00I'm with you in that schools need to empower s...I'm with you in that schools need to empower students to pursue and develop their passions, but I cannot support the idea that modern medicine has duped all of us regarding ADHD medication. <br /><br />Yes, many parents (and teachers) seem overly quick to seek a prescription as a solution to behavioral and/or attention problems. However, to imply that pediatricians are "drugging" children simply so they can tolerate the tedium of school is pretty extreme; to imply that we parents who have chosen to help our children through the use of medication, under a doctor's supervision, are willfully damaging their brains and robbing them of their creativity is pretty insulting. <br /><br />ADHD is a medical condition, not an educational condition. While there is certainly much we can do in the classroom to improve learning for all students, let's be mindful that a well-crafted TED Talk is not a substitute for a medical degree.Patrick Woessnerhttp://pwoessner.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8318734518772387227.post-18229018395638694422011-01-25T11:20:05.548-05:002011-01-25T11:20:05.548-05:00Being treated for a brain injury is certainly quit...Being treated for a brain injury is certainly quite different than a student in a traditional school being prescribed drugs. <br /><br />I think it can be as simple as I'm saying if we don't have drugs be the first line of defense. Providing alternative environments for children that let them pursue their passions should occur before drugging children. I agree drugging them works. I disagree it is best. <br /><br />Do you know many of the children don't need drugs on weekends and in summers? It is often used as a treatment to alleviate the symptoms schools cause. <br /><br />I wonder how many students are drugged in free/dom/un/schools? My guess is the percentage is far less than those in traditional settings.Lisa Nielsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07759123507185453030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8318734518772387227.post-73509473807154112592011-01-25T11:08:13.569-05:002011-01-25T11:08:13.569-05:00I recently had a brain injury and was prescribed r...I recently had a brain injury and was prescribed ritalin to help with focus and brain fatigue.<br /><br />Having finally experienced some of what students experience I can attest that it is not as simple as you make it out to be. <br /><br />This is a very complex problem.Brandt Schneiderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04791897755152832142noreply@blogger.com