I disagree with your analysis of this response. Nowhere does he assert, IMHO, that the student "just needs a little discipline and willpower." I think as a society we are too quick to look for help in bottle. Yes, there are students who legitimately need medication, but I believe we are too ready to prescribe without exhausting all other alternatives. Because so many families are now with two wage earners, they do not always have the time (or inclination) to put in the hard hours. My younger brother was afflicted with Cornelia Delang syndrome, a form of mental retardation often leading to pyschological issues as the individual got older. My mother along with my siblings (there were 9 of us) spent many hours and tried many different approaches to try to help him. In the end, he, as an adult had to be medicated because of aggressive tendencies stemming from his frustration at being "different." These, we all feel, led to his early death of congestive heart failure at age 42. Had he started the medication at a younger age, it is possible we would not have even had him that long. I know he did not have ADD, but I think the parallels are there. As I said, I don't think TC was implying that ADD is a result of laziness or poor parenting, just that we need to take a longer look before we break out the medicine bottle.
Lauren,
Yes and no. Medication is irrelevant to whether or not they are entitled to access, but it MAY make a difference as to whether or not they need accommodation. HOWEVER, it would never be appropriate to withhold accommodation because they chose to take -- or not take -- the meds. I think that is what you meant.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
Michelle,
I am not sure you really spoke to the issue here, Michelle. You are right in suggesting that it is our responsibility to take the students as we find them and to help them receive whatever they need for equal access. But the question was whether we should provide accommodations if they are not doing everything THEY can to manage their symptoms. And the answer is YES! Students have the right to refuse medication.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I agree completely! We can only direct students to receive the best and most complete education available - medication is irrelevant to accommodating different learning abilities.
I think meds are the decision of the parent or gaurdian unless the student is of age to make their own decisions. People say you have to take the flu shot and I refuse, if the person with a disability does not want to take medication then that is a choice. Regardless if they choose to take the medication as instructors it is our resposibility to reach out and connect with the student and help to the best of our ability in their needs of learning.
I, too, was the parent of a child with a disability. I say "was" because my daughter is now 21 (how did that happen?). Having that personal connection with issues of disability, and watching your own child struggle certainly provides a level of understanding for you, in your work, that many of your colleagues won't have. The good news is that, in my experience, many students "grow into" their disability over time and become more comfortable in their abilities. With that confidence comes a certain freedom to make the most of one's abilities and the supports that are available. I hope you find that to be true in your son's case, too.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
As a parent of a child with ADD and also sensory issue to touch and fill I have spent many hours at Texas children hospital speaking with Health care providers. I have also enlisted the help of a psychologist to assist with the medication. The medicine has help with the school and anxiety attacks. He has started to show sign of recognitions of his disability and is again working with himself to recognize when he needs to focus. I think as he grows he will understand better as to the need of his medication. Currently we have him take it at school. He does not like taking medicine because he fills he is different. No amount of coaching at that age helps him with the fact he is not different he just has additional needs.
Yes and no, Cassandra. There are lots of reasons that someone may choose not to take medication, and they should certainly have that option. Just don't fall into the trap of thinking that anyone who needs or uses medication is relying on a crutch in some way. When you say, "people need to learn how to manage" it sounds a little like saying, "they should just get some self-discipline and they wouldn't have this problem!" GRIN
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I don't think medication is necessarily needed in all cases. People need to learn how to manage themselves the best they can without it.
Patricia,
I hear a lot of folks report than students who have struggled as youngsters, and been prescribed medication, often take themselves off the meds when they become adults and are free to make their own decisions about such things. I hope he finds adequate ways of coping, and can learn to manage his symptomology effectively.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
My son had ADD/ODD as a child to. He is 19 now and took himself off of his meds 2 years ago. he still suffers from some issues with ADD but has learned to control the ODD. He is very absent minded and sloppy, which I believe has to do with his ADD.
Helen,
You are right -- medication is not for everyone and does not work the same way for everyone. The decision to take (or not take) medication must be an individual decision by the student. But regardless of what can or should happen in the K-12 system, the responsibility for managing the distractions associated with the condition lie with the student in the postsecondary setting. We can provide accommodation to facilitate things, but the student with ADHD must find his/her own way of coping.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
My son had ADHD when he was younger, he was on medicine and the teachers would even call me to see if I had it refilled because he was acting out in class! It worked for short-term periods but it made him seem a bit drugged and low-key and we did not like the side effects so I took him off of it and was not happy with the teachers calling me to see if his meds were refilled. It is not for everyone, I believe there are ways to work with these students if teachers have the patience.
I think you need to be careful here, TC. Your response reads as though you are suggesting that the student with ADD just "needs a little discipline" and wouldn't be having this problem if they had a little more willpower. It simply is not that easy. ADD isn't something that is a result of laziness or poor parenting. Students may learn coping strategies that help to overcome the problem, but to suggest that medication is simply an excuse not to buckle down and work a little harder (which is almost what it sounds like) is certainly not the case. There are folks who do not benefit from medication, and there are those who choose not to take it for a variety of reasons. The use of medication is a separate issue from the presence of symptomology. It would be a mistake to think of the student with a diagnosis of ADD as any less capable simply BECAUSE of that diagnosis.
Each person is effected differently. Some people have the willpower and ability to overcome the urges but others need the medication. The medical community has been partially responsible for excessivily medicating or youth. But the larger issue may be that the parents need to get off of their behinds and be "parents" instead of just heavily medicating over active kids. In the past, if you were a hyper kid (before all of these mind numbing wonder drugs)your parents put you to work, they kept you busy. Today it just seems that that idea is too much effort for alot of parents. There are people out there today that have to take medications to counteract the medications they were given as a child for ADD and ADHD.
The individual should be allowed (after ensuring they know the facts)to chose to take the medication or not. Being forced to be in a medicated state is only for mental hospitals or similar facilities. In my opinion.
Scott,
We rarely get to here the stories about such success -- only the failures get reported. This is a terrific testament to your son's inherent capabilities... and to his parents' guidance and support. Congratulations! ;-)
Dr. Jane Jarrow
As a metter of fact we did find something for him. First we let him find something of interest to him not what we wanted. He wanted to do martial arts and now he is a black belt and is an honours student taking college courses in high school. Sometimes you have to find what is right for yourself. Thanks
You have just given us a real-life example of why meds are NOT for everyone, Scott, and why it is not up to us to *decide* that if someone isn't taking the meds that are available, they must be slacking off. I applaud your son for having the insight to realize that the meds were part of the problem. I hope he found alternatives that were able to help him manage his symptoms.
My son that has ADD needed medication when he was younger, it helped him focus. As he got older he told us the meds were affecting him in negative ways. he would hold in things that would make him angry and he would blow his top. Requiring meds to be taken is not the way because not everyone reacts to meds the same way. And good luck making any adult take meds like they are supposed to.
Wow, Karen! I wish I'd said that. ALL of it! You have taken the discussion beyond the realm of "what students should do" and brought it around to focus on "what faculty COULD do". I am sure that the students who are lucky enough to have you for an instructor benefit greatly from your enthusiasm and commitment. Nicely done!
Dr. Jane Jarrow
