What do you think about... | ADHD Information

In order to qualify for an IEP, a child needs to be tested and shown to have learning difficulties that are preventing them from getting an education. IEPs are taylored to help a child with the specific areas that are causing adverse effects on thier education. These kids have to be behind thier peers and need help to get an education. Having a diagnosis of ADHD does not automatically qualify a child for an IEP. My oldest does not get an IEP, but the youngest was failing with out the IEP, behavior plan and meds (comprehensive treatment plan).

Is the increasing number of kids getting help becuase the difficulties are better recognized and addressed? I do not see kids in special ed that do not need the extra help to catch them up with thier peers. I do notice that the classroom teachers seem to be very limited in thier knowledge of the disorder and the effective accomodations, however the special ed teacher guides them on thier part of the IEP.

Maybe someone else here has seen IEPs misused.

Here is some old prevalance data:

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5434a2.htm

vickie39207.9462384259I know that my sister works in the Princeton, New Jersey public schools
where in recent years she's seen dramatic increase in ADHD prevelancy
among students. Those students receive boths meds and IEP benefits. It's
implied by the increase that parents want a diagnosis to better their child's
chance of success (seeing as meds help with focus as does an IEP plan,
especially in schools with so many students). I was wondering how parents
of children with ADHD feel about this, and if there is even any way to tell the
difference between a true ADHD child and one whose parents are behind the
diagnosis. What do you think about the fact that some parents are seeing the "benefits"
that ADHD kids get in school, and are scurrying off to get diagnosis' from
their child's pediatrician? Do you see it as a problem, or as someting that
would take away from those who actually need the help/attention?These meds should not really help kids without ADHD other than the stimulant affects similar to coffee (again with non-ADHD) or the placebo effect (which should only be temporary). I think the risk vs benefits are not worth medicating kids who do not need it. Pediatricians who do not follow the diagnostic guidelines are one of the reasons for misdiagnosis and improper medication.

Yes, there is a way to tell. If the ADHD meds work, they have ADHD. If the ADHD meds do not work, they don't have ADHD. If you don't have this dx, and you take these meds, you'd be bouncing off the walls.

College kids now just like college kids when I was in school who don't have
ADHD take Adderall to stay awake, concentrate, be able to study, whatever.
Not sure they bounce off the walls.

Taking adderall to stay awake is like taking caffiene to stay awake, except for the requirement for a prescription. Stimulants help most non-ADHD people stay awake. They actually calm ADHDers down and allow focus, some ADHDers sleep better with meds in the system.

What kind of information are you looking for? What kind of accomodations are the non ADHD kids getting in your sister's school district? My youngest daughter sits at the front of the class so the teacher can re-direct her, she works with the special ed teacher for her dysgraphia, and she (and the other special ed kids) take thier spelling tests in a separate room from the other kids.

I haven't seen any children in special who didn't need it. Around here, a Dr.'s diagnosis of ADHD does not guarantee the school will have an IEP for the child. The school does psych testing, and based on those scores, the child will qualify for services or not qualify. As for parents getting ritalin scrips for their children so they will perform better, I wouldn't put it past them, but I don't know of any. The side effects aren't worth it, imo. Maybe that happens more in high school.I also do not see many kids who are in special ed who do not  need it. I understand your point, however, battling for services for my daughter for many years, the school's not handing out IEP's nor extra services unless warranted. It costs them too much money. I hate to think parents would medicate their children if unneccessary. We go though such heartache here struggling through side effects I cant imagine going this road unnecessarily. I am sure it happens though.I waited a very long time for ds to get an IEP and get him into the LLS class. He was really struggling in the mainstream classes. I also had to wait for his testing before he could be idetified and placed in his current LLS class. I for one do not enjoy medicating my child and would prefer not to. So I would never medicate him unneccessarily. I just don't think it's fair for him to spend the day at the front of the school as he did when unmedicated.It's extremely diificult to just "get" services from a school. As in anything, however, there are ways around it. This is not just happening with ADHD. PDD (autism spectrum) incidence has changed DRASTICALLY over the past 10 years. Much is about awareness, some is about overdiagnosing. Personally, I feel it's worth the overdiagnosing to help the children who need it and raise awareness. The pendulum will swing back and settle in the middle.  There have always been parents (and children) who have done whatever it takes to achieve, even when it is done by questionable means. It doesnt make it right, but it's has alwasy been there and probably always will. [QUOTE=vickie]

What kind of accomodations are the non ADHD kids
getting in your sister's school district?

[/QUOTE]

Well, it isn't that the kids in my sister's school who are benefitting from
their ADHD diagnosis aren't actually ADHD, it's just a very popular
diagnosis that warrants some question as to why the increase in cases
has occurred. Princeton is a large school district (my sister Leisel works in
the high school, where there is pressure among peers and parents alike
for students to succeed). To my knowledge, the students are granted
individualized attention, extra test taking time, and medication. I wrote in
another post about what I recall about being in college, when kids would
use the medication illegally for their benefit, because they saw the meds
had a benefit.

It wouldn't be surprising if parents notice the benefits of medication,
individualized attention, etc and sought out an ADHD diagnosis for their
child. It would explain why ADHD has become so unsettlingly
commonplace.

It's not really that ADHD is becoming more common, it's that it's now recognized that people can have ADHD without being hyperactive, whereas those with inattentive ADHD, as it is called, were just label "daydreamer" or "lazy" before.  Also, the fact that there is more info about the disorder available means that more people are recognizing that their kid has an actual problem and isn't just bad or stupid, and seeking treatment. 

As far just wanting to get extra stuff from the school- have you ever tried?  It's not as easy as just asking.  I had to fight just to get the measly accommodations that my son has- the school wouldn't even test him because he wasn't failing.  As far as meds go, they are a doctor prescribed controlled substance- you can't get more than 30 days worth at a time.  If people are abusing it, either recreationally or in an attempt to do better in school, then they are getting it illegally- that part really doesn't have anything to do with anything, but it doesn occur to me that if a kid is selling their meds, then the meds probably aren't working in the 1st place (if they were they'd actually want to take them).  Keep in mind that there are many types of stimulant drugs available to abuse and that in many areas it's easier to get coke or speed or meth than it is to get adderall.