This video from Consumer Reports examines lax practices by pharmacies. 4 out of 5 pharmacies did not include the FDA required Medication Guide. (They were looking at blood thinners. but I'm sure the same could be true for stimulant medication for ADHD.) If people do not receive the information, they aren't aware of the serious side effects of taking the medication. See our graphic about the serious side effects of ADHD medication.

Copy-Kids Sizzle Reel from Copy-Kids on Vimeo.

Every now and then I come across an article I wish I had written.  This one is The Business of ADHD by Child Psychiatrist Winston Chung, MD.  If I had written it, I would have titled it ADHD Greed.

Three highlights are:

• The American Psychiatric Association is considering lowering the number of symptoms needed for an ADHD diagnosis from 6 to 4.  This is alarming because we already medicate 57% of children who don't meet the current criterion.  Lowering the number of symptoms needed will surely increase the number of children wrongfully receiving unneeded medication.  Woops, I forgot.  It's about profits.

• Researchers promise pharmaceutical companies results that would benefit the drug company -- before they conduct the study!

• Allen Frances, MD, Chair of the Task Force that created the current diagnostic criteria for ADHD (and other disorders) laments that his group "inadvertently contributed to three false 'epidemics' - attention deficit disorder, autism and childhood bipolar disorder. Clearly, our net was cast too wide and captured many 'patients' who might have been far better off never entering the mental health system."

For years I have been critical of these three "epidemics" which I call "diagnosis du jour".

I recently proposed that children (of every age) use a Four Word Phrase when confronted with difficulties.  The phrase(s) indicate something about their attitudes, self concept, and how they perceive their environment.  I had suggested that children learn these phrases from The Child & Adolescent Guide for Manipulating Adults but really they learn them from us -- their parents and teachers.  Here are what some people submitted as "magic phrases" and my quick analysis of what it tells us about the child and his/her environment.

Dimensions shown by use of Four Word Phrases
Phrase(s)	Attitude	Self-concept	Perception of Environment
It won't happen again. I am so sorry.	assertive & taking personal responsibility	capable and positive	peaceful / reconciling
I am not sure. I didn't mean to.	passive	powerless actor	unclear
I forgot my meds. It wasn't my fault.	passive-aggressive	powerless victim	blaming
I have a gun.  Don't mess with me	aggressive	defeated	hostile

Now this is just a quick classification - I'd be open to hearing clarifications and improvements to the above.

Whether the above is accurate or not, the point I want to make is that the phrases people use "to get out of trouble" tell us something about them.  It also tells us something about ourselves  - because they learn them from us.

For example. how many times have you heard a student say "I forgot my meds"?  And how many times have you heard a teacher say under his/her breath or to a co-worker "He needs his meds"?  I bet there is a high correlation between the two.

We don't think we are teaching kids all the  time, but we teach as much by the content of our character as we do by the content of our curriculum.  We teach as much by our interactions WITH students as we do by our presentations TO them.

I'll discuss this more in the next article.

According to “The Child & Adolescent Guide for Manipulating Adults” it's supposed to be a free pass. The magic four words that get a student out of every difficulty.

 

Forgot your homework? Just mention this four word phrase and all is supposed to be forgiven. Disrupting the classroom or in trouble with your teacher? Yes, the magic phrase should work. At least it is worth a try.

 

In trouble on the playground? Give the phrase a try.

 

Mom or dad upset with you for disrespectful behavior? Right again. The phrase should get you out of most difficulties you encounter with adults.

 

Readers, what's your guess as to the magic phrase? And since there really is no published “Guide for Manipulating Adults” how do kids learn the phrase? And why does it work?