[senco-forum] ADHD

Has this lad had a full statutory assessment or just  an ADHD checklist and 
brief observation? Attention difficulties may have a  myriad of causes, many of 
which are invisible diusabilites. As there at  least 50 conditions that can 
be misdiagnosed as ADHD, including APD and  giftedness - being bright and bored 
makes a child fidgety, as does the need for  some children with sensory 
processing/integration problems to move when working  or processing (like my son). 
Unfortunately neither is seen to be acceptable  in a classroom. Also dietary 
allergies and additive intolerances can have  similar effects. My son used to 
become manic if he had eated strawbwerry  flavoured sweets the dabgers are well 
known about sunset yellow colouring and  caffeine etc.

I would be very wary to agree to medicate unless as a last resort, as  
prescribing Class A stimulants to children has to be done with the utmost  caution 
and I have worked with some severely affected children for whom it was  not 
only necessary but a godsend, but these are few. 

In many cases compliance is the only benefit and in others the side effects  
(and additional medication/s to counter the side effects such as sleep  
disorders) can be very unpleasant. Some adults I know have found that  medication 
even takes away their ability to concentrate, their focus, while  making them 
"calm"...they would rather be the way they are, if a little  "wired" and 
intense. But there are different types and if the right dosage is  found it can 
benefit some people.

And as far as  i know medication can only be legitimately suggested by a 
physician not an  EP that presumably saw this child for an hour or two...albeit 
therre are those  like the Community Physician who wrote in my son's case notes 
that he had ADHD  when this was never even considered by anyone else and 
laughed off by his  paediatric consultant.... 

Not a  decision to be taken lightly and without exploring all other avenues 
first, in  my humble opinion.

Best wishes,
Aly

Chair Auditory Processing Disorder in  the UK/APDUK
www.lacewingmultimedia.com/APD.htm 
www.apduk.org