My eldest son, now 12, was observed having problems with coordination when he was 6. Could balance on left leg, diminished hearing and sight on his left side. He also seemed to "go wild" for no apparent reason. Our doctor suggested a neurologist. They ran a brain scan and a bunch of other tests. In the brain scan the left side looked like Times Square, but the right side looked like Boise. Much less activity. He as a right-hemispheric deficiency which manifests itself in ADD-like symptoms. They put him on Adderall and "poof" new kid. Still a wild 12 year old, likes to surf and is a red belt in karate, but his grades are much better and he is much less prone to inappropriately emotional mood swings.
My youngest (7) seemed to be constantly off in his own little world. Couldn't complete any work in school. Would forget that he went into the bedroom to change his clothes. We feared he may be autistic, but, after testing, not only wasn't he autistic, but his IQ tested out in the 150's. Classic ADD without the HD. The doctor started him on Adderall, but has since switched him to Stratera. His grades are up, he finishes his work (mostly), and he drifts off much less.
My take on this is that 30 years ago kids like mine would just do poorly in school, have trouble adjusting, and go on to enriching careers in the fast food service industry. We have now found a way to help kids do better in school, and life, and I for one and glad for it.
Or maybe better. My grandfather got to go to school in a one room school house where kids weren't segregated by age but by ability --- he was only able to go for 3 years but learned to read and do math probably better than most high school graduates today --- and of course he read and continued to learn, and was quite successful.
School might be a very unnatural setting for people who aren't strictly average.
Well thank goodness for that, another Einstein nipped in the bud, shoe-horned into the conformity of secondary education. Read John Taylor Gatto's books about education. These drugs are part of the agenda to get everbody, especially males, to conform to societal norms. You're youngst may have ended up flipping burgers he could also have ended up as a really creative Professor at Princeton.
However, it is a sad fact too many doctors prescribe medicine much too quickly and much too often.
I agree with you Crusher. I wonder how many of the great parents here actually have to deal with children with issues like these. I'm sure there are abuses, but give some of us credit that we know when something is not quite right with our children and that we also have had a lot of guilt over what we may have done wrong to boot while exploring the issues. Hell, I even have a normal child to compare my other one too and believe me it does not take a degree in neurology to know that not talking at age 4, having rages that can not be calmed, and being self-destructive is not normal behavior. My son is autistic though.
BTW, just to address this comment:
not only wasn't he autistic, but his IQ tested out in the 150's"
Autistics, many of them, test out in IQ as well. Many do not have a problem with learning, particularly visual and their intensity lends itself to them excelling in specific areas. The biggest problem with autistics like my son is communication, language, and interacting. They have a hard time making the connections that make us enjoy one another as people--eye contact, body language, verbal skills while at the same time they can be aces in math or take apart a car and put it back together with more skill than a licensed mechanic.