22FA_EPY260A-CI-Survey of Exceptional Children

The information I thought is that ADHD is the most common childhood disorder but it is also the disorder that is most understood. I thought that the most interesting was that the common cause of death in individuals with ADHD is accidents. I found it interesting because yes they do not have a good focus span but, I would think they would know what they would be doing it is kind of common sense. I got this information from the “Medicating Children With ADHD Keeps Them Safer” article, that Susan Pinker wrote. I confirmed on the internet to see if the stats were right what Pinker said in the article.

ADHD seemed to be a common and understood disorder, however after listening and reading more about individuals with ADHD I learned that we still have far more to learn. I knew from previous knowledge that ADHD cause some people to have trouble focusing in class, but I did not know that there was a scientific reason for these actions. Different levels of dopamine are released in the brain during different activities, and ADHF can either exaggerate these levels or diminish them causing simple things like homework to become mentally impossible. The public eye used to just assume that the students with ADHD are lazy and just do not want to put in hard work, but that misconception can be easily bunked. Many of the brightest and hardest working people in the world have ADHD, and they would even reference it for part of their success.

The information that I learned about ADHD was relatable to me. I have had ADHD for a while now, and I understand what he was saying. People with ADHD take a little longer processing information. We often zone out and lose track of time or where we are sometimes. We struggle to maintain energy for long periods of time. We usually have to work twice as much in order to keep up with everyone else. People that might say that these people are lazy don't understand that our brains are wired differently. If we are not interest in a certain topic, we won't show that much emotion and interest. It doesn't mean we don't care, its just we don't find interest in certain topics. In the article "Medicating Children With ADHD Keeps Them Safer", it talked about how ADHD affects about 9% of all Americans between the year of age of 4-18. The problem with modern medication, is that we don't know if it's attacking the main problem. All it does is cover it. The medication doesn't solve the problem for some people. For a couple of hours, then you go back to your normal self. I don't think there is enough research done on some of these medications and that is a threat to those who use them. They don't know what the medication contains.

I related to a lot of the information within the video, powerpoint, and article because I have Inattentive ADHD, however, what stood out to me the most was that, according to the article, "ADHD is one of the most common childhood disorders and also one of the most misunderstood." So many children with ADHD, especially girls (including myself), are overlooked at a young age because people are not educated enough on the topic to notice the issue at hand. I enjoyed the break down of Inattentive ADHD versus Hyperactive ADHD in the powerpoint because I feel this is where the lack of understanding for most people stems from. ADHD kids are known for being hyper, impatient, distracted, and irresponsible but these "symptoms" are not a one size fits all. As discussed in the video, ADHD can become a superpower; it is just a matter of learning how ones brain works as everyone functions differently.

After taking notes on the chapter, article, and video, what stood out to me most was the video "I have ADHD and that is okay". This video taught me about the reality of someone with ADHD and how the name is very misleading. It is not that they have a deficit of attention but rather, they just struggle with regulating where this attention goes. In each of our brains, we have dopamine, this gives humans positive chemical response for doing things. For people with ADHD, their brains distribute less dopamine for less appealing tasks, like homework, laundry, or doing taxes. The YouTube then shared his story and I learned that pills are not or everyone unlike in the article where it made it sound like it is the best solution for future success. Everyone has different ways of learning to manage their ADHD, and it is something you have to research, with lots of trial and error. ADHD has a larger effect on someone than I thought and the YouTube video was very interesting to me.

While reading the article on medicating children with ADHD, I found the Danish study to be really interesting. The study found that children diagnosed with ADHD had a much higher chance of getting injured than children without ADHD. Kids with ADHD are also at risk to drive recklessly and use drugs or alcohol since they act more on impulsive desicions. Medications to help with ADHD were proven to half the ammount of trips taken to the E.R by children with ADHD. I have noticed that a few of my close friends with ADHD do tend to act more impulsive and some even have a past with heavy drug use.

While I knew some of the iformation that was presented in the article, video, and powerpoints, I did not realize that we are still learning so much about ADHD. For instance, I was unaware that ADHD could be caused by external factors such as lead poisoning! I was happy to learn though, that if treated, the negative behvaiors of ADHD can be minimized, such as unprotected sex, and other risk taking behaviors. I related to what the article said about boys being treated more often than girls because my parents accepted and agreed that my brother had ADHD, but ignored my symptoms completely. One key takeaway that I had was that ADHD presents itself in many different ways and we must recognize those differences and respond accordingly.

The thing I found most interesting from this class is how well/ badly medication for ADHD can work for people. I found this interesting because I know many people who have ADHD, and for most the medication works great for them, but for some they claim it makes them feel like a zombie. The guy in the video was sharing his horrors with medication, and presented the same phrases many have said about the medication not working. It was incredible to think that the best medication for him was to truly understand his disorder, and learn to embrace the great things that it has brought him. I think that this mentality should be applied in all facets of life because it is easy to get caught thinking about the stress and troubles a "problem" has brought you instead of being positive and looking at the good.

I have ADHD and I thought I knew basically everything about it. I was wrong. I knew what ADHD stood for, but I did not realize that people with ADHD do not have a deficit of attention. We just can't control where it goes. I knew that I focused more on things that interested me and procrastinated on everything from making dinner to doing laundry, but I thought it was because I couldn't focus for a long time. I can focus on things, just not things I need to focus on and a lot of the time I can't control what the thing I focus on is. The video "I Have ADHD And That's Okay" really described me as a person.

I disagree with the article "Medicating Children With ADHD Keeps Them Safer". From personal experience, and as the video explains, it is difficult to find the right medicine for each person. When children start taking these medications, it can lead to depression, increased anxiety (especially social anxiety), and a lack of interest in things that they used to love. The feeling of emptiness from the medication can be detrimental to mental health. Obviously, this is not the case for everyone but it is difficult to find the right balance of medication. In my experience, Adderall and Concerta both effected my mood and sleep patterns. Vyvanse works very well for me, but all three have made it hard for me to talk to people without the fear that I am being "annoying". In conclusion, medication can be helpful for some patients, but can change other's way of life too much. This is why medication should be an option, but not the only option.

I know multiple people who have ADHD, and I knew most of these facts. At first, I was shocked to learn that it's actually not a learning disability, but a health impairment. Most people think that people with ADHD don't want to pay attention, are too lazy, or are too uncontrollable; people with ADHD, however, just have an inability to control that because of how it chemically affects the brain. From the PowerPoint, I still find it interesting that most kids even have problems with memory. Millions of things are running through their minds, and it prevents them from remembering, maturing, or even controlling their emotions. Most people look at it negatively, which is interesting. Although it's the most "understood", people still just don't seem to understand it.

After watching the YouTube video, “I Have ADHD And That's Okay”, I realized that the way teachers support students who have ADHD at school will be crucial for them. In the video, he stated that he received punishments from teachers every day at his school because of his behavior with ADHD. Since the teachers did not have enough knowledge about ADHD, they dealt with him in the wrong way. Like him, people who have ADHD tend to lose self-respect, for they are controlled by people’s opinions or evaluations. Moreover, they are excluded even if they understand how to do something, and this experience can create a vicious cycle. Therefore, I learned that teachers should approach the students according to the individuals with appropriate knowledge.