The Un-Medicated Child

A recent New York Times report cites the rise in A.D.H.D diagnoses among children in the United States. As a former teacher and current social worker, I’m not surprised. The CDC is reporting new numbers: 11% of children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; an estimated 6.4 million children ages 4 through 17 have received the diagnosis at some point in their lives; a 16 percent increase in A.D.H.D. diagnoses since 2007, and a 41 percent rise in the past decade. A startling increase in the number of children being diagnosed and treated with medication should cause us to wonder.

Why? The purpose of this blog is not to explore the why.

Whatever the causes of this dramatic increase, at DisciplineYes! we are focused on helping parents and teachers ensure that students aren’t mistakenly identified and treated with medications. We believe that it is vital that we meet the underlying needs that led to the inappropriate diagnosis in the first place. In other words, we are inclined to ask, How can we better meet the needs of the “un-medicated child?”