The rise of ADHD on elite campuses

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even though this is a depressing topic as a parent of an ADHD kid this is an interesting thread on ADHD. I had no idea that adderall was banned in Europe.

My kid describes his issues as noise in his head that stops him from doing activities he does not like. He says the medication quiets the noise. He also has slow processing speed but general whips through work so while he had an extended time accommodation, he never uses it.

I worry a lot about his ability to function in college. He’s come a long way with his issues but it’s definitely still a problem. Very disheartening that so many kids are taking advantage of the system and this will only make it harder for him.

My son is a freshman at an OOS flagship across the country. I was terrified but he has done very well. He has accommodations in college of extra time, can take exams at the office of disability services, and has a single suite.

He’s had challenges for sure - he still struggles to stay on top of assignments and did lose points for forgetting to submit pop quizzes or complete all parts of an assignment. Still finished the semester with a 3.5 gpa in the honors college.

His dorm room is a mess but he does clean up, does his own laundry and picks up his prescriptions.

I do have to provide some scaffolding support via daily checkins and reminders of due dates.

Thanks for posting this!

[Anonymous]

The real question is what will many kids do with their lives once they graduate and all of the accommodations go away? My nephew graduated from an expensive LAC years ago and could never hold down a job - has been fired too many times to count for executive functioning issues. He still a young man and is now on Medicaid, divorced, a deadbeat dad and my sister supports him. He can’t even hold down a retail job. College was a waste of time and money for him - perhaps trade school or programs focused on life skills would be a better path for truly severe cases. I know a number of men like this, and life is extremely difficult and depressing for them. The simplest tasks are difficult to complete. ADHD has different levels of severity and the most severe cases seem to need more than college or grades to function in life.

[Anonymous]

If there is such an epidemic of ADHD, could the problem be the curriculum and the way education is approached in this country instead of the kids’ executive functioning limitations? In other countries like Finland and Russia, kids aren’t taught to read until age 6-7 and there’s more emphasis on play during the early years. Not only that, but there’s also a vocational “track” for kids who aren’t college-bound. The US was like this even for the Gen X cohort. Kindergarten was about play and high schools offered (some) vocational training. I get that technology has changed things but the same technology is present in other countries…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If there is such an epidemic of ADHD, could the problem be the curriculum and the way education is approached in this country instead of the kids’ executive functioning limitations? In other countries like Finland and Russia, kids aren’t taught to read until age 6-7 and there’s more emphasis on play during the early years. Not only that, but there’s also a vocational “track” for kids who aren’t college-bound. The US was like this even for the Gen X cohort. Kindergarten was about play and high schools offered (some) vocational training. I get that technology has changed things but the same technology is present in other countries…

No because my kid with ADHD has problems at home too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If there is such an epidemic of ADHD, could the problem be the curriculum and the way education is approached in this country instead of the kids’ executive functioning limitations? In other countries like Finland and Russia, kids aren’t taught to read until age 6-7 and there’s more emphasis on play during the early years. Not only that, but there’s also a vocational “track” for kids who aren’t college-bound. The US was like this even for the Gen X cohort. Kindergarten was about play and high schools offered (some) vocational training. I get that technology has changed things but the same technology is present in other countries…

The culture in Finland and Russia, even amount the non wealthy people is entirely different. Their education culture in specific is different. You can’t compare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If there is such an epidemic of ADHD, could the problem be the curriculum and the way education is approached in this country instead of the kids’ executive functioning limitations? In other countries like Finland and Russia, kids aren’t taught to read until age 6-7 and there’s more emphasis on play during the early years. Not only that, but there’s also a vocational “track” for kids who aren’t college-bound. The US was like this even for the Gen X cohort. Kindergarten was about play and high schools offered (some) vocational training. I get that technology has changed things but the same technology is present in other countries…

The culture in Finland and Russia, even amount the non wealthy people is entirely different. Their education culture in specific is different. You can’t compare.

This is not true of Russia, by the way. Kids start school a year later but are immediately tracked into groups that follow them until at least 8th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The real question is what will many kids do with their lives once they graduate and all of the accommodations go away? My nephew graduated from an expensive LAC years ago and could never hold down a job - has been fired too many times to count for executive functioning issues. He still a young man and is now on Medicaid, divorced, a deadbeat dad and my sister supports him. He can’t even hold down a retail job. College was a waste of time and money for him - perhaps trade school or programs focused on life skills would be a better path for truly severe cases. I know a number of men like this, and life is extremely difficult and depressing for them. The simplest tasks are difficult to complete. ADHD has different levels of severity and the most severe cases seem to need more than college or grades to function in life.

You can get accommodations in the workplace

[Anonymous]

There isn’t really two types of ADHD. ADHD is a disorder of executive functioning and like all conditions can present in different ways in different people but it is the same condition. There are two main categories of presenting symptoms but they are all the same ADHD and same executive function disorder.

Watch videos by Dr Russell Barkley. I would say he is the best expert in ADHD. He has a series of videos on 30 Essential Things you Should Know about ADHD that is worth watching.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a common loophole. My kids actually had ADHD and anxiety but their immigrant mama didn't know about possible accommodations, unlike moms who went knew and manipulated the system. Fortunately mine did well on their own but had to work much harder and go through unnecessary stress, all their academic lives.

My daughter and son both have anxiety but not ADHD. The psychiatrist really pushed the adhd diagnosis on my daughter. She was the doctor so I took her advice and filled the prescription. Less than a week on the pills her agitation was off the chart. It’s like taking an adult who’s already wound up over something and he snorts a ton of coke at a party. Bad decision. I felt awful giving her something that made her feel worse. But at least ADHD was ruled out.

Some kids without anxiety can easily fool a doctor into getting stimulants and they like the way it makes them feel.

[Anonymous]

I’ve said this long time ago in this forum that white people are cheaters evidenced by disproportionately high amount claims of ADHD. They also cheat by self identifying as Hispanics in college applications, which has been well documented in various news outlets.

[Anonymous]

I don’t understand why anyone would start a child on medication before first enrolling the child in an executive functioning class. Our schools teach it poorly. Try teaching before adding a crutch. Crutches are sometimes necessary but should be a last resort as they make lessons much harder.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve said this long time ago in this forum that white people are cheaters evidenced by disproportionately high amount claims of ADHD. They also cheat by self identifying as Hispanics in college applications, which has been well documented in various news outlets.

I saw on various news sources that you have been in a coma for several months and missed some important developments. But I understand where the defensiveness is coming from.

[Anonymous]

I have a close friend who misses appointments a lot. Blames ADHD. Says that he has bad executive functioning skills. Same person refuses to use a calendar. Says it as a source of pride. He does not see these as related and seems shocked every time he misses an appointment. Some of them are very important, and it leaves him extraordinarily upset.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The real question is what will many kids do with their lives once they graduate and all of the accommodations go away? My nephew graduated from an expensive LAC years ago and could never hold down a job - has been fired too many times to count for executive functioning issues. He still a young man and is now on Medicaid, divorced, a deadbeat dad and my sister supports him. He can’t even hold down a retail job. College was a waste of time and money for him - perhaps trade school or programs focused on life skills would be a better path for truly severe cases. I know a number of men like this, and life is extremely difficult and depressing for them. The simplest tasks are difficult to complete. ADHD has different levels of severity and the most severe cases seem to need more than college or grades to function in life.

They should join the military or get exposure to people with far less economic resources than him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a common loophole. My kids actually had ADHD and anxiety but their immigrant mama didn't know about possible accommodations, unlike moms who went knew and manipulated the system. Fortunately mine did well on their own but had to work much harder and go through unnecessary stress, all their academic lives.

My daughter and son both have anxiety but not ADHD. The psychiatrist really pushed the adhd diagnosis on my daughter. She was the doctor so I took her advice and filled the prescription. Less than a week on the pills her agitation was off the chart. It’s like taking an adult who’s already wound up over something and he snorts a ton of coke at a party. Bad decision. I felt awful giving her something that made her feel worse. But at least ADHD was ruled out.

Some kids without anxiety can easily fool a doctor into getting stimulants and they like the way it makes them feel.

How do you “fool” a doctor on a neurophysiological exam? That is how my kids were diagnosed. It is days and hours of cognitive tests. I guess if you are getting a diagnosis from your family doctor from a checklist it might work, but will that even provide you with accomodations? My kids legitimately have ADHD and I wish they didn’t!! It is hard.