ADD Options

[Testm0nkey]

when the drugs you take are the same chemicals that are flowing through your system anyway i dont see what the problem is (if taken properly) pharmacology is well beyond blood letting and cocaine

but the more severe the disorder the more severe problem in the persons body. changing that in a way that would correct the persons behavior yeah it can mess a sane person up. but thats why people who dont have severe problems shouldnt/dont take anti psychotics

[Melanie]

man, ADD, ADHD, Autism, Asperger's Syndrome are no joke. Those kids are creepy smart but I feel so bad for them because they're always needing stimulation, CONSTANTLY. I used to work at a day care that specialized in children with special needs, some cases of ADD and ADHD are so severe that these children get pushed into the special education system in public schools.

But I truly believe that there is ADD, if not come live with my family for a few days. My brother may be 17 and super smart but this kid has no memory at all (one of the downfalls to ADD).

[pysex]

Drugs CAN be good for you, but, as noted, sometimes ailments are overdiagnosed and people are on meds when they really don't need to be. This is especially the case with mental/emotional conditions.

But ADD, depression, etc. really do exist and these drugs are very helpful for the people who actually have these conditions. Sometimes people are just taking the easy way out with drugs for themselves or their children, but please don't be so quick to dismiss people as bad parents JUST because their kids are on meds.

No I agree that the meds do provide remedies for people that do have chemical imbalances. I too have seen family members with extreme ADHD and their prescriptions drastically alter their behavior (in a good way).


It just saddens me that people either abuse the drugs or are quick to put their kids on them because their kids don't act the way they want them to.

[Spectatrix]

It just saddens me that people either abuse the drugs or are quick to put their kids on them because their kids don't act the way they want them to.

I'm in 100% agreement there. 'tis sad indeed...

[Melanie]

I feel sorry for kids whose parents jack their meds.

[Testm0nkey]

idiot savants are super rare, like more than super rare. super super rare. aspergers, autism are typically associated with mental retardation.

thats another thing i hate
"oh hes autistic? whats his trick?"

ADD/ADHD kids are neither stupid or really smart. they have normal intelligences= capacity to learn. but because of the symptoms of the disorders they are more likely to do worse in school

[Melanie]

Aspergers and Autistic children are extremely smart. Most nonverbal Autistic children are good with visual arts. I remember this one kid that could look at a map for five minutes, put down the map get a clean sheet of paper and draw everything that was on the map. Verbal Autistic children do remarkably well in math and science. Aspergers children just crack me up. All the hyperactivity of ADHD and crazy smartness of Autism. I had this kid that could recite every single capital in the world. THE WORLD. And he knew every single war and conflict the United States was in, who they were in it with, what years, and the social effects and this kid was 7. His mom is in the Army.

I hate the fact that these four disorders are associated with mental retardation because they really shouldn't be. It just takes a bit more effort. It's not kids that are lazy, I think it's the teachers and education system.

[Testm0nkey]

no they are associated with mental retardation most of the time

its not a bad thing. doesnt mean they have to be shunned. you have to know whats associated with these disorders so that people are educated and they get the best treatment

[Testm0nkey]

On the other hand, the majority of autistic persons have varying degrees of mental retardation, with only 20 percent having average or above-average intelligence.

http://www.autismuk.com/index10.htm

Seventy-five to 80 percent of people with autism are mentally retarded to some extent. Fifteen to 20 percent are considered severely retarded, with IQs below 35.

http://www.autisticsociety.org/Encyclopedi...ent/eid=20.html

These findings (biological factors for autism and linkage between autism and other severe disorders], together with the degree of mental retardation commonly found in austism seem to strengthen the link between autism and brain damage.

out of my abnormal psychology textbook published 2006
Abnormal Psychology 9th ed.
G. Davison

since autism is a popular thing to learn about now theres a lot of information about it online. while that can be a good thing it can also be a really bad one. there are a lot of sites that try to look professional but totally lack actual research or documentation. most autism sites are geared towards parents looking for quick answers and happy endings. those you have to read with a healthy amount of skepticism and leave it to psychology researchers for information

[pebkac]

http://www.autismuk.com/index10.htm
http://www.autisticsociety.org/Encyclopedi...ent/eid=20.html
out of my abnormal psychology textbook published 2006
Abnormal Psychology 9th ed.
G. Davison

since autism is a popular thing to learn about now theres a lot of information about it online. while that can be a good thing it can also be a really bad one. there are a lot of sites that try to look professional but totally lack actual research or documentation. most autism sites are geared towards parents looking for quick answers and happy endings. those you have to read with a healthy amount of skepticism and leave it to psychology researchers for information

It's common for autism to be associated with retardation, but I'm not sure about the 80% stat. Usually autistic kids are smart in a few very focused areas and are unable to handle much else.

[Testm0nkey]

why do you think so?

from the dms iv diagnosis

in most cases there is an associated diagnosis of mental retardation, which can range from mild to profound

you cant really refute researchers, doctors, advocacy centers and peer reviewed textbooks because you think so

rutter et al. (1999)

Researchers in the field of autism research long ago determined that most children with autism were, in fact, mentally retarded

Interrelationship between Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Generic (ADOS-G), Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R), and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) Classification in Children and Adolescents with Mental Retardation.
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Vol 34(2), Apr 2004. pp. 129-137.

do i really need to cite anymore? overview over 55% of the sample of autistic kids had "profound" MR with 23% having moderate and then a percent with mild

dont mean to be defensive! but if i didnt care about this stuff i wouldnt be going into psychology

MR isnt about being "dumb" its about being different. corny as hell but true

[blaarg]

Aspergers children just crack me up. All the hyperactivity of ADHD and crazy smartness of Autism. I had this kid that could recite every single capital in the world. THE WORLD...and this kid was 7.

Whoa, I did that when I was 7 too (preparing long in advance for the geography bee). Weird, maybe I had Aspergers...? can you grow out of it, or is it with you for the rest of your life?

[Spectatrix]

no they are associated with mental retardation most of the time

its not a bad thing. doesnt mean they have to be shunned. you have to know whats associated with these disorders so that people are educated and they get the best treatment

You didn't make the distinction, but it's worth noting that the stats you quoted are not applicable to Asperger's syndrome. Children with Asperger's are characterized by normal (or high intelligence), but odd behaviors such as poor communication, clumsiness, etc. It is comparable to (if not equivalent to; researchers aren't really sure yet) high-functioning autism.

Whoa, I did that when I was 7 too (preparing long in advance for the geography bee). Weird, maybe I had Aspergers...? can you grow out of it, or is it with you for the rest of your life?

No, Asperger's is a life-long condition.

[Jim]

I (we, Christine and I, that is) had a friend in Albuquerque who was mildly autistic or at least definitely showed signs of being Autistic and definitely did not seem to be an idiot savant. He seemed slightly lower than normal intelligence and no real "specialty". He was just a socially awkward guy that needed some extra attention.

[Spectatrix]

I don't know that he had lower than average intelligence. He was doing fine in his classes, as far as I know. But he certainly wasn't hyper-intelligent.