ADHD Coaching and Section 504
In October, I made the move from public school to home school for my Daughter. She is a sophomore and was failing several classes, and also had some failing and low grades as a freshman. In addition to having problems focusing, staying organized and keeping track one day to the next of her assignments and school work, socializing with friends and classmates interfered with class work as well as made her susceptible to at risk behavior.
I was amazed at the difference that home schooling made for my daughter. She is now a straight A student and testing shows that she had the ability all along. The only thing holding her back, was SCHOOL itself.
Recently I have been contacted by several parents who have made the decision to home school. Some concerned about the lack of appropriate services and teaching for their children, others because their children are at risk due to behavior problems or because parents are dealing with uncaring and/or untrained school staff. To help support these parents I have created a new list for parents who home school their children.
ADHDHomeschool is a new list created for parents who home school their children to share skills, tools and experiences with home schooling their add/adhd or learning disabled child. To join this list send a message to ADHDHomeschool-subscribe@topica.com
I am going to move my son James to home school for summer school to see if he can benefit from the program. If it is successful my plan is to pull he from public school and home school him as well.
It's IEP (Individualized Education Plans) and Section 504 Time again.
We are nearing the end of the school year. Only one more quarter left in some areas before school will be out.
It's time to be thinking about your present IEP/504 as far as if your child's goals were met, if the plan they made is working and what skills and services you need to add or change for next year. Overall, were you satisfied with IEP or section 504 your child had this year? If not, get those issues addressed.
The Parent Coach: The Column For Proactive Parents
Dr. Steven Richfield www.parentcoachcards.com
A parent writes, I'm having a problem with my 9 year old son. He's doing fine in school except when it comes to recess. The daily football game, and other league competition, is too much for him. He argues, becomes defensive, and even screams at and kicks other players at times. What can I do to make him see that the more he argues with the other boys, the less they like him, the less they will throw to him, or even play with him?
There is nothing like competitive sports to unleash the "reacting side" living in all of us. This term refers to the strong feelings and pressures that fuel angry words and behaviors. It is contrasted with the "thinking side," characterized by a calm awareness of what's going on around us even when we don't like what we see. Unfortunately, the world of youth sports has seen a series of feverish reacting sides hijacking the sensibilities of parents and children. This appears to be due in part to the narrow focus placed upon winning and the ego-dominated interpretation of decisions made on the playing field.
Children and teens are told to show sportsmanship but need models to follow. If parents and coaches don't lead the way, and take the time to explain the thinking side skills involved, some kids will fall into the clutches of their reacting sides. Tolerance in the face of the other's errors, accepting decisions that one disagrees with, sharing responsibility for the wins and losses, and showing resilience when disappointed, are among the skills that all of us need to retrieve when the competitive fires are blazing. Here are some tips for coaching sportsmanship:
Make the discussion of sportsmanship as essential to sports as the skills learned. Coaching self-control during competition needs to take of a more primary role in youth sports. If your child's coach is not going to do it, parents must step up to the plate. While watching games with your child, use opportunities to point out how players succeeded or failed in the sportsmanship challenges they faced. Ask open-ended questions to see if your child can recognize his/her reacting side triggers when they are in the spectator role.
Explain how the ability to stay calm under pressure requires thinking side skills. Many children don't take the time to ask themselves, What do other kids have that allows them to stay in control when I freak out during games? When the timing is right, pose this question but be sure to have quick answers. Explain how thoughts act as doorkeepers to managing feelings and actions. When a person is able to think about events in a more logical and proportional manner, using "big picture thinking," they are much better at keeping their cool when things don't go their way.
Offer tangible tools to rehearse and retrieve during competition. One way to strengthen the thinking side is to help your child examine the self-defeating thoughts that go through their mind during games. "That was so unfair!" and I'll make him pay for that one!" fire up the reacting side. Explain how other thoughts such as "Not much I can do about it now, and I've got to keep my cool," can stem the tide of a rising wave of anger. Emphasize the importance of monitoring one's thinking during games, and periodically telling themselves, "Keep it in perspective." Demonstrate what "perspective" is by drawing a measurement line of terrible things with notches from 1-10. Show how a #10 event might be the death of loved one, #9 might be a serious injury from a car accident, and a #3 might be losing a football game. Point out how they can learn not to let their reacting side experience a #3 event as if it's a #10 event. Refer to this measurement system when events take place at home to help with the "re-calibration" of their perspective. More about the thinking and reacting side can be found on my website: www.parentcoachcards.com
Dr. Steven Richfield is a child psychologist in Plymouth Meeting, PA. His column appears monthly. He can be contacted at director@parentcoachcards.com
Steve Metz on Peter Breggin
teacher007@aol.comWe parents of ADD children are constantly exposed to all the misbeliefs about ADD and the medicines we sometimes use to treat the disorder. Many of our school administrators are nonbelievers in what the disorder is all about, and attempt to take their personal vision of its reality and impose it on the schools willingness to help our children. Despite all the studies, ADD's inclusion in IDEA, and twenty years of studies. And to add to that battle we must fight, there are radio and TV personalities who are talk show hosts, that feel they can voice their nonmedical opinions on the subject. One of those people is Sean Hannity. He has accepted the words of his guest, Dr Peter Breggin, as his own, and constantly makes fun of the use of Ritalin and similar drugs and the very existence of the disorder. We as a group, must learn how to deal with people like Mr. Hannity and even more so with Dr Breggin. I consider him to be our enemy. I wrote the following letter to Mr. Hannity, to let him know what my thoughts are on the subject. Here is that letter.
Today for the first time in my life, I spent 45 minutes waiting on the phone to speak to you and more importantly Dr. Breggin. Spending 1 minute waiting to speak to a bigot is not my idea of fun. You had on your show today, this country's premier medical fraud. And I heard you kiss his royal butt based on your supposed knowledge about ADD and his supposed studies. I told your screener that I could prove that Breggin is a fraud, and I was convinced you wouldn't speak to someone who could challenge you and your guest. Your praise of this clown, is the height of your hypocrisy. You could put your knowledge about ADD on the head of a pin. First, Breggin NEVER has conducted any studies on Ritalin.
He takes bits and pieces of other people's studies and takes some of that data totally out of context. He has never allowed any of his papers to be reviewed by any academic jury which is common in the medical field. The foremost authority on ADD is Dr Russell Barkley, who is at the cutting edge of studies in this country. He is not on anyone's payroll and he took the time to write a letter about Breggin because he so infuriated him. Next, Dr Breggin stated in a way to make it seem like he was recently invited to advise the Nat'l Institute of Mental Health about the fallacies of the disorder. The real truth is the largest single academic conference ever held on any disorder was held about 6 months ago on ADD, Every independent group, including Universities around the world, are doing studies on the disorder, were invited to participate in the event. It was meant to be the ultimate event and bring current consensus on the disorder.
Every one who is involved in the disorder was invited. Even the fringe element, so that they could never be accused of partisanship. Breggin by the vast majority of attendees understand exactly what Breggin is all about. The one individual making a living off of his perceived negatives that drug therapy has made for thousands and thousands of people. The bottom line is, the consensus report that was released after the event was that the medical community is coming closer and closer to being able to diagnose ADD with absolute certainty using a variety of methods. All of which are expensive.
The most promising of all the studies are using PET, Positron Emission Tomography. It shows brain scans in unbelievable detail. The clear differences in the brain of an ADD vs. a Non ADD person were remarkable. You see, ADD is a disorder of the brain. In an ADD person, child, or adult, have LESS activity of the Nuero transmitters in the frontal lobe section of the brain. That is the part of the brain that controls behavior and impulsiveness. This is known to the medical community.
It has been known for over 13 years. What the medical community doesn't know, is why their is a difference, and how can we change the make-up of the brain to eliminate these differences. In answer to your claims and Breggins claim about Ritalin being just like cocaine, is actually very true and that's the blessing. It really has a very simple answer that Breggin has decided is not very important. Most people can't understand why a child that can 't sit still, is given a stimulant like Ritalin. The reason is Ritalin allows the activity of the Nuero transmitters to become more advanced, more active. It has also been known for years, that undiagnosed children with ADD when reaching their teens have gravitated towards the use of cocaine, as a way of self medication. The reason is again is rather simple.
For most non ADD people, when taking cocaine, it would present a more aggressive personality and behavior. So, these individuals without knowledge of their disorder, would take cocaine because for the first time in their lives, a drug makes them feel normal. The complete opposite of what the normal person feels. It is the drug of choice for undiagnosed ADD children and adults. The beauty of Ritalin is it is NOT ADDICTIVE, no matter what Breggin tells you. Every independent study ever done on the drug, has shown there is virtually no addiction when taken as prescribed. In any psychotropic drugs, a portion of the people taking these drugs will have adverse affects. If you take a nose spray you buy in the supermarket too often, it will hurt you as well. The problem is, normal young adults are taking the drug, and getting the speed effect, it has on them. But it is no different from any drug that can be abused. Including Alcohol, which I don't hear you talk about. And my guess is you have been known to douse yourself, on occasion. Oh, I forgot, your perfect. You constant claims of being holier than thou makes me sick.
So, trying to make this into the "Making Zombies out of our Children" is nothing more Bregginspeak. Now why would this bright doctor do this if it were not true. First, his Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology is not a think tank research group. It is not a group of scientists doing intense studies on the drug Ritalin. It is an answering machine that tells you where to buy his books, and if you want him to speak, how to reach him.
He Has done no studies, never has, never will. He is considered to be the fringe element in medicine. He makes his living by going negative on miracle drugs, and writing books about them. As noted by Dr Russell Barkely, (this nations premier researcher on ADD) he uses other people's science and takes portions out of context, writes footnotes based on this out of context material and passes it off as science. What I was going to do is confront this fraud with as well as you, about the list of books he has written and what he has attacked. You see, he has no way of making money except by selling these books and convincing morons like you that it has validity. You were drawn into his so-called studies, by the books he has written, and your supposed knowledge about the disorder. When you talk about being knowledgeable about ADD, it drives me up a wall. Your a fraud and every time you speak about gaining your knowledge by speaking to parents. The same parents who call you on the phone to talk about conspiracy theories in the Clinton White House. You know nothing and are supported by a man who is considered to be a whacko doctor. This afternoon, you spoke about how Novartis Corp. the maker of Ritalin, and how they are backing some studies. I would no further accept their studies than accept Breggins claims, Because I'm sure you have no idea that he also has financial backing also. He is backed by the Sciencetologists. A religious group that thinks a bad science fiction writer is God. They are backing his lawsuits and paying him to spread his venom.
The very people you hate with a passion, Hollywood actors in Scientology, back this doctor. But lets assume he is legitimate. We will assume for this argument that he is absolutely correct. and all his writings are real. First let me give you his history on his books and the drugs he hates. He has written books on every one of these miracle drugs that has saved the lives of thousands. Let's begin, he hates Prozac, He hates Luvox, He hates Paxil, and he hates Zoloft. Every one of these drugs has made the severely depressed be able to live normal lives. There is not an expert alive that agrees with this clown, except those on the fringe who make their livings by going contrary. They testify for people against drug companies and make speeches around the country espousing their hate. it is not based on a science, just his supposed beliefs. So, one year he writes a book on Prozac, the next year he writes a book about Luvox. This year it is about Ritalin. His supposed findings have been shredded to pieces by experts, and found to be totally without any medical validity. But lets not even accept these truths. Let's really go for his jugular. Lets go by his own writings. These are quotes directly from his own brain put on paper for all to see. I want you Mr. Hannity, to follow your own advice and have parents listen to this man and follow his lead. I want you and your child to be a Breggin fanatic as you seem to be and follow all of his writings. You didn't go to me on the phone because on your screening process, your were told that someone who could prove Breggin to be a fraud was on the line. You wouldn't talk to anyone who would make you and your guest look like fools. You put on people who agree with you, as you always do. And then you made claim that you have once and for all proved your point. The only thing you proved this evening that you can attack a group of parents that are saving their kids life with miracle drugs. So once again, you proved to your trash audience that you could convince them about your silly misbegotten beliefs and a doctor who can't get arrested in the real medical community. All I wish for is for you live your life by Breggins thoughts. To crystallize it with finer detail here is part of his writings. Let's see how honest you are. After readings these items will you retract all your statements? You and I know your just not that honest. You're really a fraud. I would have made mince meat out of this clown. But you deserve him. I just want your child to live in a home with Breggin thoughts and ideas to be the rule of thumb. And in one of the statements he has made it tells the real truth about his own chosen profession. He is a psychiatrist who now is making claims that it is about parents having to use more discipline to fix their ADD children. And here is his quote on parental authority. and I quote from his book "As I dramatized in After the Good War, permitting children to have sex among themselves would go a long way toward liberating them from oppressive parental authority. This is the main reason that parents fight so hard to prevent sex between children. Sexual freedom would allow their children to become truly independent of them." Have SeanJr., under these rulesBelow find the rest of some of his thoughts.
Tell you audience this Monday about how they should be allowing their
children to have sex when they want, as per DR Breggin. Tell your audience as I would have, what Breggin wants your family behavior to look like. The following quotes are from the book The Psychology of Freedom - Liberty and Love as a Way of Life by Peter R. Breggin, MD, The book was published in by Prometheus Books. On Sex Among Children ˜What if your daughter wants to have sex at age ten? Or what if she is taking drugs?(tm) Whether my children have sex or take drugs should be no concern of mine unless I can really argue it is causing them harm. Even then, I have to prove my viewpoint to them, since I cannot use force. page 178
As I dramatized in After the Good War, permitting children to have sex among themselves would go a long way toward liberating them from oppressive parental authority. This is the main reason that parents fight so hard to prevent sex between children. Sexual freedom would allow their children to become truly independent of them. - page 209 On Moral Authority Moral authority is always oppressive.... Most forms of psychotherapy, most aspects of psychiatry in general, nearly all religions, and most parents are moral authorities.!! - page 233. Sean, do you think your Catholic Church will go along with Breggins thoughts on religion.
On Parental Authority If a man grows up believing that his father(tm)s word is law, he will never become fully rational in understanding the oppressive effects of authoritarian religious, educational,or political institutions, and he may be tempted to indoctrinate his own children in submission to authority. - page 76 So much for more discipline in the HANNITY HOME
On Parental Discipline Here is a good test of whether a punishment is legitimate - can your child use the same punishment on you? ... parent has one legitimate, effective, and usually sufficient method of punishment - judiciously expressed anger. When a child assaults you or compromises your freedom, show him or her that you are angry. ... Making a child stay at home, or grounding(tm), in current slang, is one of the most contradictory, absurd, and self-destructive actions a parent can take.(tm) -page 168. On Parental Obligation - this is one of my favorites For children to maintain voluntary relationships with their parents, they must have the right to ˜run away(tm) - to seek out more advantageous homes for themselves. If society recognized this right, a major step would be taken toward reforming the family. Each parent would have to offer his or her children a good home or risk losing them to a better offer. Sean. tell me when your letting your little one lose to find a new home. Life would be wonderful.
On Teaching Good Habits - What happened to his thoughts about more discipline he talked about on your show? How's this one Most attempts to make a child learn one or another good habit turn out to be cases of parental bullying. - page 177 On Ethics Many things must be allowed in the interest of freedom, even unethical conduct. - page 77 On Keeping a Promise Remember that you have sovereign authority to break any contract that turns out to offend libertarian principles. - page 61
On Law and Order I happen to like America better than other nations because it permits more freedom and diversity. I especially approve of the Bill of Rights. But, in general, I find most of the laws of the land to be coercive and unjust.... As far as I am concerned, I want them (his children) to grow up with a healthy, happy disregard for all forms of authority and coercion. - page 176 On Compassion for the Mentally Ill - And this is the most telling. This psychiatrist is telling you that schizophrenia is nothing more than irresponsibility. I also believe that the term "schizophrenia" does reflect human phenomenon. Tell your audience as I would have, what Breggin wants your family behavior to look like.
The following quotes are from the book The Psychology of Freedom - Liberty and Love as a Way of Life by Peter R. Breggin, M.D. The book was published in by Prometheus Books.
On Sex Among Children
What if your daughter wants to have sex at age ten? Or what if she is taking drugs?(tm) Whether my children have sex or take drugs should be no concern of mine unless I can really argue it is causing them harm. Even then, I have to prove my viewpoint to them, since I cannot use force. page 178 As I dramatized in After the Good War, permitting children to have sex among themselves would go a long way toward liberating them from oppressive parental authority. This is the main reason that parents fight so hard to prevent sex between children. Sexual freedom would allow their children to become truly independent of them. - page 209 On Moral Authority Moral authority is always oppressive.... Most forms of psychotherapy, most aspects of psychiatry in general, nearly all religions, and most parents are moral authorities.!! - page 233. Sean, do you think your Catholic Church will go along with Breggins thoughts on religion.
On Parental Authority If a man grows up believing that his father(tm)s word is law, he will never become fully rational in understanding the oppressive effects of authoritarian religious, educational,_or political institutions, and he may be tempted to indoctrinate his own children in submission to authority. - page 76 So much for more discipline in the HANNITY HOME
On Parental Discipline Here is a good test of whether a punishment is legitimate - can your child use the same punishment on you? ... A parent has one legitimate, effective, and usually sufficient method of punishment - judiciously expressed anger. When a child assaults you or compromises your freedom, show him or her that you are angry. ... Making a child stay at home, or grounding(tm), in current slang, is one of the most contradictory, absurd, and self-destructive actions a parent can take.(tm) -page 168. On Parental Obligation - this is one of my favorites For children to maintain voluntary relationships with their parents, they must have the right to run away(tm) - to seek out more advantageous homes for themselves. If society recognized this right, a major step would be taken toward reforming the family. Each parent would have to offer his or her children a good home or risk losing them to a better offer. Sean. tell me when your letting your little one lose to find a new home. Life would be wonderful.
On Teaching Good Habits - What happened to his thoughts about more discipline he talked about on your show? How's this one Most attempts to make a child learn one or another good habit turn out to be cases of parental bullying. - page 177 On Ethics Many things must be allowed in the interest of freedom, even unethical conduct. - page 77 On Keeping a Promise Remember that you have sovereign authority to break any contract that turns out to offend libertarian principles. - page 61 On Law and Order I happen to like America better than other nations because it permits more freedom and diversity. I especially approve of the Bill of Rights. But, in general, I find most of the laws of the land to be coercive and unjust.... As far as I am concerned, I want them (his children) to grow up with a healthy, happy disregard for all forms of authority and coercion. - page 176 On Compassion for the Mentally Ill - And this is the most telling. This psychiatrist is telling you that schizophrenia is nothing more than irresponsibility. I also believe that the term shizophrenia does reflect human phenomenon, an extreme of utter irresponsibility craziness.(tm) - page 69 So there you have it. This is your idea of what parents should be listening to. One can only hope that your personal bigotry without any real knowledge becomes an affront to wise and thinking people. To tell people who have no answers to their children's problems, and try to convince them that they should never use a drug that could change the course of their lives for the better, is truly sad. Your simplistic claim that every child is ADD and can't sit still shows the limited knowledge you have. How sad that you think you are so important that you can also play doctor, shows that you are of small intelligence. one would dare go where you have, without real knowledge. As for me, I 'm just a parent of a child with ADHD. I am also ADD and only found out when I was in my fifty's. I have spent the last 6 years of my life becoming an advocate for parents of children with ADD. I teach them how to get services from schools that are antagonistic against their child, based on Federal Law called IDEA. Because of the way my son was treated, I have devoted myself to learning everything I could about the disorder. I became a lay expert on the subject and write a monthly column about our children with ADD. I am neither an advocate or adversarial for or against any drug. I am not pro Ritalin or against Ritalin, but I have spoken to hundreds and hundreds of parents who children have been saved by using Ritalin. So, I have nothing to gain by sending you this letter. I certainly don't expect you to say your wrong. Your too much of an egotistical individual. And to finish off this e-mail. The difference between a child with ADD and normal is the child who is normal with get out of his seat and lose focus at times during the day or at home. The ADD child has no focus all day long, in every environment he's in, and it started from before the age of 7 and has lasted since then, day in and day out. All hours of the day and night in all environments. So, please stop telling parents that all children are that way. It's just not true. But when have you ever worried about truth? If There is a God, then you will pay for your hate and damage you have done every time you speak about ADD. I will send this e-mail to the thousands of people who read my column monthly. I will be sure to tell them that your not worth the time to tune into your hate. It's time to expose your bigotry. Imagine for a moment that you persuade a parent to take their child off of Ritalin, to only cause that child harm. I hope your pleased with yourself. Anytime you want to really end the battle about Ritalin, just call me and I'll be there in an eyeblink. Unlike what you did tonight. Load the deck. You're a fraud. Yours Truly, Steve Metz
Copyright 2000 Brandi Valentine. All rights reserved. This Newsletter is copyrighted by the authors and/or publisher and is registered with the Library of Congress.
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Appropriate credit should be given to this resource and it's authors if It is reproduced in any form. Brandi Valentine