AUSTRALIA

ADHD is born in classrooms

EDUCATION experts have traced the crisis over attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to the classroom - and not the doctor's surgery - as teachers seek a quick fix for misbehaving children.

A Sydney University researcher claimed yesterday schools were more responsible for the blowout in the number of children taking drugs for ADHD than doctors over-prescribing stimulants such as Ritalin.

Senior research associate in child and youth studies Linda Graham said chronic underfunding of schools had forced teachers to "label" children for their poor behaviours when their real problem may be a learning difficulty.

Teachers were diagnosing a "hyper" child with potential ADHD because schools did not have sufficient resources to find educational answers, she said.

Ms Graham said funds were so short in public schools that they felt pressured into seeking a medical option. "ADHD is not a sympathetic diagnosis – these children do not get supported, they get managed," she said. "Often the only way for parents, then, is to dose them up with Ritalin.

"More research is needed into the pressure that schools and teachers place parents under to medicate their children and the motivating factor that fear of school failure has upon parents."

Sydney University's dean of education and social work Derrick Armstrong said the blowout in using ADHD was "out of control in Australia".

"Usage is growing here when in other parts of the world it's declining," he said. "Parents are going to doctors and saying there's a problem in school and doctors are prescribing the drugs without reference back to teachers and any understanding of the educational situation. I am really concerned about how there's no clear understanding of possible long-term effects of drug use on children."

Both the Iemma and the Howard Governments have announced inquiries into ADHD but Ms Graham attacked both as too restrictive because they appeared to be concentrated on medical issues. "An inquiry should be carried out by an independent body or by a person such as (educationist) Tony Vinson," she said.

"I would argue that more research is needed into parent perspectives, why they might make the decision to medicate and, most importantly, whether they still would if their children were better resourced, supported and understood in school."

Professor Armstrong said any summit on the issue should include educators, parents and medical professionals.

Bruce McDougall
May 03, 2007

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,21660957-5006009,00.html

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