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Monthly NewsNote
March 2004
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ALERT: MAKE SURE YOUR TEACHERS AND THERAPISTS UNDERSTAND ADD
This is not a column that I’m comfortable writing because I am afraid I
will offend a colleague. But I think there is a problem in certain cases so I
will go ahead and discuss my concerns.
Here’s the problem. Despite many courses and articles, some teachers
and therapists still do not understand ADD.
I was shocked recently when I talked with a therapist doing marriage/family
therapy with a couple. The husband was a patient of mine and had marked ADD
with impulsivity, a low frustration tolerance, and great distractibility. When
on medication he was much better, but because of sleep problems he could not
use it after dinner. That meant he was unmedicated most of the time he was with
his wife.
I spoke to the therapist who told me “I’m a systems person and
don’t know about ADD.” She did not ask how the condition might influence
the marriage. She did not ask for something to read that might make her more
able to understand the problem. I was and still am upset, because her therapy
is not helpful, as she doesn’t understand what she is dealing with.
Here’s a case concerning a teacher: A teenager was having marked difficulty
with organization, time management and distractibility. She had done well until
her senior year despite procrastinating, handing papers in late, and staying
up far too late to get work done. But in senior year the ADD problems caught
up with her. She fell behind and was in danger of failing. Her teachers were
concerned. I made a diagnosis of ADD, and made suggestions to help her manage
her stress as well as medication to help her focus.
She was relieved by the diagnosis, which helped her understand her difficulties.
When she went to tell her teacher, she was told: “I know about ADD and
you don’t have ADD.” This upset the girl and certainly made the
situation more difficult. The teacher may have known something about ADD, but
not as much as she seemed to think.
I think the important point of these examples is that the therapist or teacher
cannot be assumed to know about ADD. If you have ADD and are seeking a therapist,
be sure they know about the condition and its implications. If your child has
a teacher who does not seem to understand the condition, perhaps you can help
educate the teacher by discussion or written material.
I’ll end on a positive note. I recently received a call from a teacher
at the suggestion of a parent. The question was whether the teachers understood
the ADD and how it was affecting the child. We talked and I realized that while
they knew about ADD they did not always understand how to translate this knowledge
into understanding the child.
After some discussion it seemed as if more of the problems were understood
and handling of the problem would very likely be improved.
ADD is now highly publicized and all kinds of material is available to help
in understanding the person with the condition. Be sure those who you depend
on are knowledgeable.
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