Consumer Reports has recently made some news by rattling the big giant, Apple. They are known for being objective reviewers of all kinds of products. They rate them and either recommend them or not. They also have a division which reviews health related products and services etc.
Recently, they surveyed parents of 934 children who were diagnosed with ADHD to get their views about the symptoms they noticed, the diagnostic process they went through, helpful treatments, and the advice they would give other parents.
It is interesting to read the results and how they break them down. It gives us a glimpse – a snapshot - into the lives of those affected by this disorder. ADHD is a disorder surrounded with some level of stigma (also addressed in the survey), which often prevents people from letting the public gain insight about it.
Here are some of the noteworthy findings:
♦ 67 percent found drug therapy to be the most effective treatment, followed by switching to a more accommodating school (45 percent), giving one instruction at a time (39 percent), working with a private tutor or learning specialist (37 percent) and providing structure by maintaining a schedule of activities helped 35 percent.
♦ 84 percent of those in the survey tried medication at some point, and more than half of the children tried two or more medications in the past three years.
♦ Medications, parents say, are most helpful with improving academic performance and behavior at school (35 percent described it as very effective). They are not as useful in mitigating behavior at home (26 percent), improving social relationships (19 percent, or self esteem (18 percent).
♦ Even while agreeing it worked, parents are not thrilled to be relying on drug treatment. Only 52 percent “agreed strongly” that “if they had to do it over again, they would have their kids take medications,” and 44 percent said they wished there was another way to help their child.
♦ The two main reasons parents went for help was because they felt their child needed academic help or because a teacher/principle suggested they get tested and intervention.
♦ Interestingly, the most common symptoms leading parents to get the child tested were not related to negative behaviors or hyperactivity. Rather, they were related to the children being easily distracted, having difficulty focusing and paying attention, and losing interest quickly. Note, that a large percentage of children were referred for help due to hyperactivity and impulsivity, though.
♦ Most children were diagnosed by their primary care physician; far fewer were diagnosed by specialists such as child psychiatrists.
♦ A significant percentage (25%) of children were diagnosed based solely on interviews without going through formal diagnostic testing.
♦ In less than half of all cases were the children’s teachers interviewed before making a diagnosis. Likewise, in very few cases did the physician include a classroom observation as part of the diagnostic process.
♦ Finally, for some good news, the survey found the stigma associated with ADHD to be largely gone. Only 22% of parents reported not sharing their child’s diagnosis with teachers and friends because of the stigma associated with this diagnosis.
The results of this survey are a mixed bag. There are some points to be concerned about. Teachers should have a more active say and be more actively involved in the diagnostic process, especially since most children get referred because of academic problems.
And there are some points to celebrate. The fact that the stigma associated with ADHD is at an all time low speaks to how accepting and accommodating we have become toward children with differences. It also underlines the great work teachers are doing in working with these children’s unique needs.
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