I have so many intense feelings after listening to Howard Dully's account of what happened to him. At 12 years old, he received a transorbital lobotomy, because his step-mother convinced an eager doctor that the boy was unmanageable. Truth was, he had just lost his mom, and the adults had told him she had just "gone away." A loving Mom was replaced by this stepmother who was, at best, unkind to Howard. Of course the cause of the problems was "Howard was a difficult child." That was the story the stepmother and Freeman told themselves. It seems Howard's Dad was too disengaged to question his new wife's motives and/or judgment. The child, in this case, was labelled and treated yet was NOT the source of the problem, in my opinion. Grief. Loss. Emotional abuse. No one in his "corner." - these are the things that I believed were causing Howard's issues (if he even had any!).
Do you think that this happens today? If so, give an example -- but do not share any confidential information. If children are serving as scapegoats so to speak, what can we do as practitioners to limit the risk to kids?
Answer these questions, and then respond to at least 2 of your classmates.
Do you think that this happens today? If so, give an example -- but do not share any confidential information. If children are serving as scapegoats so to speak, what can we do as practitioners to limit the risk to kids?
Answer these questions, and then respond to at least 2 of your classmates.
I believe children are still spacegoats today maybe not the extent of working on someone's brain. Working at a school with children, I can see how parents can create problems for their children. One example was a child with Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder; her mother kept changing her medicine when one started to work. She was making her child have more outburst and behavior problems instead of helping. One way we can limit the risk to children is by educating the parents of what they are doing to their child's brain and health. If that does not happen, you may have to take action to do what is best interest of the child even if that means getting human services involved.
ReplyDeleteVictoria,
DeleteWhat a trying situation you encountered with the child you described. Can you imagine the emotional turmoil that he/she felt as she was put on and off medication, feeling their every side effect? Doing that can be very physically punishing, both psychologically and physically, depending on the medication being given and eliminated. I wonder if the mother felt it was for the best, or if she got satisfaction from the chaos of it all. I also wonder how the doctors/providers justified going the route they did with this child and the medication changes. Taking an oath to "do no harm" and then watching a child struggle at the hands of medication seems pretty irresponsible.
I agree when you stated that we could educate the parents better than they are now. Medications come with informational booklets/inserts, but who really reads them when they are looking for relief and/or they have been promoted by a doctor? They may think that they understand the benefits and consequences, but many do not. I think that parents often have good intention but poor awareness about what is really happening in their child's life. If we can educate and get to the true root of the problem, I think we will have more success.
(Kaitlynn Littlefield)
Kaitlynn, I enjoyed hearing your response! Parents just need more education to understand what is actually happening to their child. I hope in the future more can be done to educate parents.
DeleteI agree Victoria. I think that part of the curriculum in schools should be a seminar that educates parents AND their children, on the costs and benefits of certain medications.
DeleteI agree Victoria, we should not just be prescribing medication to these children without first educating the guardians as to how it works and what other services may be beneficial in conjunction. Children's brains are developing if we continue to add treatments that can alter the development of the brain we are really not allowing the brain to adapt and develop naturally. Providing other structures or support may be the better approach, however, that will require the assistance of a systemic change and advocacy in the education system. A battle I do not see going smoothly or quickly.
Delete-Sean K
Unfortunately, I do believe that there are countless children across the country today who are treated the same way as Howard Dully was. Over the years, the treatments and interventions may have changed – or perhaps not, at times – but the intent has remained the same. It is not a surprise that children can be a tough population to diagnose and treat. Many times children, even as old as Dully was, cannot verbally express their emotions and feelings well enough to be understood quickly. When they feel sad, nervous, anxious, or angry, they express it physically. Symptoms of these emotions range from child to child and can be very inconsistent. Children may show a difficulty in concentrating, have verbal outbursts, complaints of stomachaches and headaches, and impaired ability to function during school and activities. Adults who are caring for them may get frustrated when these symptoms do not respond to treatment, so they (over)medicate, take them out of school, or worse, punish them further out of exasperation. In our society, we still have a strong feeling that children should be “managed.” Girls should be quiet and calm, and boys should be focused on fun, physical play. When these assumptions do not become a reality, adults tend to over-treat them to get them “back on track.” This, in my opinion, does far more harm than good.
ReplyDeleteI once worked with an 8-year-old boy whose parents begged me to recommend an in-patient level of care because his symptoms were, in their opinion, unmanageable. After a short assessment, it became clear that he was grieving the cancer diagnosis that his father had recently received. After 8 years of routine and relative happiness in his home, he was suddenly being taken to adult medical appointments and watched his father’s condition deteriorate with chemotherapy and radiation. Yes, this client was emotionally struggling, acting aggressively, and refusing to participate in family activities, but he was also confused about all of the changes in his world. He did not understand why his father was so ill and could not play with him anymore, and he was confused why his family could no longer take him to his baseball practice or attend his games. Once we got to the root of the concern, the boy was introduced to a youth play therapist rather than being hospitalized and medicated. Slowly, and with respect, he was able to work on his feelings and heal. I believe that this was the best case scenario for this client. Though his caretakers felt that he was unmanageable and out of control, he was not. He was seen as “one more problem” in their lives and felt the need for respite from him, which would have been the worst thing for him. As practitioners, we must listen to these children. Rather than blindly agreeing with parents and caretakers, we must instead take what they say seriously but also communicate with the child just as deeply. After getting a full picture, we can then work with the family unit as a whole to determine what the best level of care is for the child. If we are able to do this, without fear of anger by the family or treatment time restraints, I believe that we can be far more effective in the work we do.
(Kaitlynn Littlefield)
wow Kaiti,
DeleteI almost teared up hearing about that poor kid, reminds me why I stopped working with that age group. There is such a fine line here isn't there between being trusted as the professional and being respected in that same manner. People are looking for us to get an answer, sometimes they have a preconceived notion of what that answer is. Ultimately unless you are in this field doing the work then you probably dont know that the only solution is hospitalization and medication, people dont want to admit they need that parenting help or that they just dont know. I am so glad that you where able to take the time to address the family and support them through a difficult time, I only hope more and mroe professionals take the time with each and every case like you did to do a proper job for the people they serve.
Sean K
Kaitlynn,
DeleteI'm so glad you were there to support this client and that he got connected to supports that he needed! What a devastating situation for the whole family. I think it's true that adults often forget what it is like to be a kid with lots of emotions, at the same time lacking the skills or opportunity to process and feel those emotions. I'm sure it's especially challenging for parents to recognize this experience within kids when they are going through turmoil themselves. It's important for professionals like you to make sure that kids' voices are heard and their experiences are validated.
Kaitlynn, I love that you added communicating with the child “just as deeply” as I think sometimes people underestimate the child’s ability to share emotions. Like Brenna said kids have lots of emotions. In working with my own kids, I think really talking it out can go a long way.
DeleteKaitlynn, I am so happy the boy got the correct help he needed instead of treatment that would have done more harm. I could not agree with you more we need to listen to the parent's concerns but also be attentive to the child. Even though they may be little, it is essential to hear their opinion to find out what is truly going on in their world. As professionals who work with children, we must remember that they are our client on the parents and ultimately we have to do what is best for them and their future.
Deletethis is an interesting piece, and one I guess I do not agree or disagree with. Children are being children, and I think as we get busier and we demand more of peoples time we are forgetting to treat children as children. I would even go as far as mentioning that we don’t even allow children the opportunity to be children once they turn a certain age or even in junior high, We are pushing towards college tours and careers so young and we are forgetting their brains have not even developed yet.
ReplyDeleteChildren and young adults at schools are not given a recess but given 22 mins to eat their lunch. Recess doesn’t just need to be for the little kids in elementary school but for the bigger kids. Even as adults you see many people walking the parking lots etc on their breaks.
Society is so busy that we go to the quick fix and sadly in this case Medication. We are not using other tools to work with kids and ease their minds, treat trauma, treat the addiction to data and meet them where they are at.
On the other side of the coin though we are seeing a large influx in funding and initiatives being developed to support youth today, hopefully, we will see less of a need for support when they enter into adulthood. WIOA regulations have really offered providers with a boost in funding to assist the youth of today but with no real understanding of how to do it. I think that falls on the adults of this world to see the systems we have in place, look for potentials and opportunity and invest wisely on the young, while continuing to educate the “old” so that it all just makes sense.
Sean,
DeleteI have never really considered how one group of people, middle/high school students, are not given that "recess time" that young children and adults are give. You are correct - as adults, we are afforded breaks from our work and can typically do what we need to in order to recharge. Middle school and high school students are expected to use their 22 minute lunches for this, as well as eating and getting to their next class. I like the idea of simply recognizing that this group of individuals require time, too, and need it for their developing brains. We are so focused on test score and getting in all of the requirements that youth have on them prior to graduation that we sometimes forget that they are human. I am grateful for the finding and initiatives that are being created currently, and it is my hope that they will be used as effectively and as widespread as possible. There is such a huge potential for youth growing up today. I would hate to see it go to waste by over medicating and not using resources efficiently. You are correct - we must work together, regardless of age or education level, to ensure that this happens.
(Kaitlynn Littlefield)
We absolutely live in a society where we all want a magical pill that fixes any problem we have either its mental health or physical health related. I do think it's sad that recess has been cut down in schools because that's what elementary school kids need is the ability to have free play and move around and not be confined to a chair in a classroom. I also agree middle school kids need breaks too because I think they can benefit from the same free time. I do think it's a difficult balance with providing middle school and high school kids so much information about employment and college options and allowing them free time to not have to worry about that stuff. And what gets tricky is the wonderful age of 18 hits and society says they are now an adult and can make their own decisions and be independent when that's not exactly true for most 18 year olds. I think encouraging employment and education opportunities to high schoolers is a positive thing because it can help them to realize what they are good at- like if they don't do well in Spanish or Biology, it's ok, they will survive and thrive in something else that they enjoy more and they will want to go to work or school each day.
DeleteAbove post by Lindsay Hill
DeleteSean, thank you so much for mentioning recess as such an imperative part of children's (and adolescents) experiences at school. It's now common knowledge that the mind is in direct communication with the body. People need to move and have fresh air and play to be able to think properly. No wonder we have so many children being diagnosed with ADHD, when the only time they get to run around and play is the 15 minutes after a rushed lunch.
DeleteAbsolutely, I think children and teens experience the same treatment as Howard Dully. Unfortunately it seemed as if his step-mother had mental health issues of her own. He complaints of keeping lights on even in broad day light seem to be so trivial.
ReplyDeleteI can think of one particular case I had this past year where the mom was guardian of her teenage son. She did not work outside of the home and made his disability her main focus. In some cases this would have been admirable but in this case she sabotaged his success over and over again. Just when an internship at a “dream location” was arranged mom pulled the plug and canceled the experience. The son was not brought to VR appointments even after begin asked to include him. Each time a new CRP was introduced a relationship would develop and mom would request the relationship would be discontinued. There was a disregard for the son’s feelings and mom controlled the directions of services. As a VR counselor I advocated that the son be included.
As professionals, we do have to advocate for our clients. Even those who don’t have control over their own guardianship should be the drivers of services. In our profession we can’t be afraid to ask questions and stand up for injustice. In thinking of the article of Bedlam those who were “singing the loudest” (staff in the mental hospital) were attempted at being targets for discipline apposed to the ones that caused the abuse. I agree we should look for the positive in things, but we can’t be blind to the horror. In the NPR recoding, Dr.Freeman’s son spoke highly of his father and concluded “happy trails for all”. We have to be honest, the trails were not happy and there still is not happiness for those who don’t get to pick there own path.
Your example Becky is a good one of how parents can be the cause of a child's lack of success. It is sad to hear that a parent would do that to their child but I do know its happening. In your example, I have to wonder if the mom had some issues with her son's potential success- like jealous he would be more productive than her since she wasn't working or jealous over the fact he was receiving help and she wasn't and maybe didn't get help earlier in her life when she needed it? And I agree with you, we absolutely need to advocate for the teenagers who aren't able to legally make their own choices about their services yet especially when they are being denied opportunities that would help them grow and succeed into adulthood.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThank you Lindsay for your response. I think you are right in looking for the thought process of mom. In this case, mom did start working with an area agency on coming up with ways to define herself separate from her son. She had spent so much time focusing on him that some part of her hated to see him be successful and leave her (this is my speculation, but it seems to make sense. :) )
DeleteBecky, I enjoyed reading your post, but it did make me frustrated reading about the mother who would not give her son a voice or independence. He is lucky to have had you advocating on his behalf. It is in our job to advocate for those who are not being treated with dignity or respect. Even though the parents are not the client or mental health professional, sometimes they may want to be in control. When this happens, it is our job to have a conversation with the individual, and if that does not work, it is time to advocate to help our clie
DeleteBecky,
DeleteAs a fellow VR Counselor, I see the same sense of, really in a sense, sabotage as you described above. With the mother/son you worked with -- I often have cases with parents who want what is best for their child, but as soon as they start to spread their wings or succeed, the parents appear to want to pull the plug. I think this could be a whole host of things, especially when I do not live in the home or know them on a truly personal level. I also try to stay optimistic and advocate for my client while keeping in mind the guardian's wishes, since after all, they are the ones who are the guardians. It can be so, so, so frustrating to see the disappointment on a clients face when their parents do not support them or they feel as though their parents are trying to hold them back.
I think there are a variety of reasons kids receive medication that they may not necessarily need for symptoms that could be managed if the parent wanted to learn the most effective ways to manage them. I think a lot of parents look for medication as a quick fix for their children because they don't want to deal with typical child behaviors like a kid who has a lot of energy and wants to play and run around or a child that likes to talk a lot and tell stories. I also think some parents have their own issues that they are sometimes dealing with and sometimes not dealing with so adding in the stress of parenting can make things more difficult for them. So if they aren't able to get a handle with what's going on in their own life, they can control what is happening in their child's life which can include unnecessary medication. I also wonder how quick doctors are to prescribe medication to children instead of prescribing parenting classes or parent/child services that can help to manage or eliminate behaviors. I think I would be horrified if I knew the true amount of prescriptions that are given to children without the child being assessed by a psychiatrist. And what is concerning is the lack of education/training medical professionals may have about medications and effects of diagnosing them to children. I think the best thing we can do as professionals is to view the client in a holistic manner and try to consider all factors as to why they are not making progress with their goals. I think when the client is a minor, as a professional, we need to be able to communicate effectively with the parent/guardian and build a level of trust so that we are able to work effectively with the child. Once the level of trust is built, the parent/guardian may be more receptive to resources and services you can recommend for them as the parent that will ultimately help the child as well.
ReplyDelete-Lindsay Hill
Lindsay,
DeleteI know some Evidence Based Practices for treating mental health disorders, like Multisystemic Therapy (MST) for youth with Conduct Disorder, for example, involve the family and community in the treatment. I think it totally makes sense, like you suggested, to have a prescription for other services to provide support for parent/family/environment challenges instead of, or maybe in conjunction with, medication treatment for a child. In many cases I bet this would help to identify unmet mental health needs of another family member as well as supporting the whole family system.
Lindsay,
DeleteI agree so much with your post!! Not only about how parents are quick to medicate their child(ren), but how quickly doctors are to oblige that parent. While I am not saying no medication is right for all -- I am saying that there is likely an over-prescription of medications that occur.
I worked with a teenager years ago who had an ADHD diagnosis. Living in a small town, he routinely was provided his medical care by a Pediatric Physician's Assistant. When his ADHD medication did not seem to be working as effectively, it was increased, then increased, and then increased some more. It was increased to the point that the teenager began have auditory and visual hallucinations and was hospitalized for over 30 days. Now, I do not push blame on any one person in this situation, but I do think that alternative methods could have been explored before the case reached an inpatient psychiatric hospitalization.
Hi Lindsay, I think you touched on something really important in your post here:
Delete"I also think some parents have their own issues that they are sometimes dealing with and sometimes not dealing with so adding in the stress of parenting can make things more difficult for them. So if they aren't able to get a handle with what's going on in their own life, they can control what is happening in their child's life which can include unnecessary medication."
I think it can be really easy to throw the parents under the bus for opting to go with a medical/prescription approach to treating their child's behavior, but it's really easy to forget that parenting doesn't come with any kind of instruction manual, and that often it can be a lack of education or resources that makes it so difficult for parents (who love their child, I'm sure!) aren't able to properly address their child's mental health/behavioral needs. As others have said, I think this is why including the family in whatever treatment approach is chosen is critical not just for the child's sake, but for the sake of the parents as well.
As a parent, I absolutely know first hand parenting does not come with a handbook!! It can be tough to make decisions on behalf of your child so what I was trying to say is that if a parent isn't getting help for their own well-being (mental health, physical health, substance abuse) and may be in denial about their own issues, they may find it easier to recognize their child's behavior and are in control of changing it- through agreeing to medications and providing medication to the child and engaging in services. I just think sometimes a child's behavior would change without medication- it may be more hands on behavior modification and learning different parenting techniques that the child and parent would benefit from.
DeleteI unfortunately do think that this happens today. Recently when I was asking a child's parent about the details of his ADHD medication, she essentially told me she gives him a dose if he is being "annoying." She did with a joking/sarcastic tone, but I think her statement does hint at an attitude of dosing the medication to control behavior based on needs of those around the child (including her own), rather than the desires/needs/decisions of the child himself. I don't know that this particular Mom was doing this, but I think the way she was casually joking about it speaks to the culture that exists around ADHD medications for children. This situation is similar to Howard's story in some ways. I wonder how many instances ADHD meds might be administered due to some parental stress (and need for peace and quiet) that has little to do with the child's actual behavior.
ReplyDeleteAs practitioners, we can make sure that conversations we have with parents about children's care (or any guardian about a dependent's care), especially medication options, be centered around the child or dependent's needs and goals. This may seem obvious, but it's easy to see how the focus of the conversation can stray away from what's best for the child to what's best for the family or the individual parent. I also think it's important, as practitioners but also just in casual conversation with others that we know, to not feed into the sort of joking that the Mom I described above was engaging in, so we're not adding to the narrative of psychotropic meds being used to control others for our benefit.
I think this, sadly happens all too often. My wife is a Kindergarten teacher (I know, don't know how she does it) and this past year she had a class of 24, 16 where identified with IEP's and 3 were in need of one but unidentified. She had 6 kids with some pretty big behaviors resulting in the class being cleared out several times a week.
DeleteOne parent did not agree with any form of medication or family treatment just thought people did not understand her child and one other parent volunteer frequently to help "discipline" a child. My wife is pretty easy going and has a great way with kids, the parent that volunteered asked to have her child removed because she did not think my wife punished her son enough. My wife understood that removing recess for that child would not help with his energy or work commitment, something his mother did not, instead she would restructure his day to get him engaged. I think in education there is a gap between understanding kids needs and making sure the curriculum is met, and I think it does lead into the discussion about kids being treated and mediated without other supports being in place.
-Sean K
Wow Sean, I feel like that is a staggering number of children who would need an IEP their first year in school!! I can't imagine how much that dynamic changes the classroom as well as changes how your wife can teach class since the majority of the kids have specific needs and accommodations. I would be curious to see the diagnoses of those 16 children because my guess is there would be a similar trend and especially knowing small towns/limited doctors offices, I'm curious if the same couple doctors and physician assistants are providing the diagnoses for these children.
DeleteBrenna, I do agree, Howard’s step mom was annoyed that he kept the lights on during the day! Some of the behaviors are just typical teenager behavior. She also stated love or punishment didn’t make a difference. I wonder what kind of punishment she used? I think parents need support in dealing with the “annoying” behaviors that all kids can take part in. Adler would believe that all behavior has a purpose. I wonder if the behaviors are to get attention and people are just trying to medicate the behavior away.
ReplyDeleteOur society as a whole has grown in knowledge, treatment, and awareness for individuals who live with disabilities. Our secondary education systems are continuing to bring theories around total inclusion and individual education plans, our peers are supported from the homes and in their communities, and so on. But what has not changed is societies constant need to "band-aid" or "fix" others. Though, and thankfully so, lobotomy's are not longer the standard practice for any and all behavioral, medical, and mental health related concerns, our society has substituted that with psychotropic medications and other forms of solutions to "problems."
ReplyDeleteI think, too often, child can be targeted as scapegoats or "problem children" rather than looking at the child as a special, unique miracle. For some, it may be easier to feed a child a pill than it is to look at their lives and figure out how to help them channel their energy in a more appropriate way.
For my example, I would like to write about a friend of mine. She is a very, very busy mother of two boys (ages 9 and 12). Both of her boys live with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Anxiety, and Learning Disabilities. Their mother is a rock star. I mean, ROCK. STAR. She has daily, physical activities plan to help distract their ADHD symptoms, sensory products up the wazoo, and is forever on Google researching ways to help them identify their most successful learning style. While my friend is a fantastic mother and role model, I fully understand that she could easily be slid into a minority as others may chose to find the latest and greatest medication to 'chill out' their child, simply so they do not have to deal with the behaviors.
Hi Ashley,
DeleteYour friend does really sound like a true rockstar. How great that she does all of those things for her children. I think that there needs to be more specific structures, resources, and education put in place around this, so that other parents and care givers can do that same for their children. That way, there will be less labels, such as the "problem child."
Hey Ashley,
DeleteEchoing what Erin said, your friend is a rockstar! Many parent run on empty and it is easier to give their children a pill versus different support.
"But what has not changed is societies constant need to "band-aid" or "fix" others." I really appreciated that you addressed this because I believe that our society's strength and weakness fall upon trying to fix something or make something more efficient. It reminded me of a story I read the other day (long-ish, but relevant):
There was once a businessman who was sitting by the beach in a small Brazilian village.
As he sat, he saw a Brazilian fisherman rowing a small boat towards the shore having caught quite few big fish.
The businessman was impressed and asked the fisherman, “How long does it take you to catch so many fish?”
The fisherman replied, “Oh, just a short while.”
“Then why don’t you stay longer at sea and catch even more?” The businessman was astonished.
“This is enough to feed my whole family,” the fisherman said.
The businessman then asked, “So, what do you do for the rest of the day?”
The fisherman replied, “Well, I usually wake up early in the morning, go out to sea and catch a few fish, then go back and play with my kids. In the afternoon, I take a nap with my wife, and evening comes, I join my buddies in the village for a drink — we play guitar, sing and dance throughout the night.”
The businessman offered a suggestion to the fisherman.
“I am a PhD in business management. I could help you to become a more successful person. From now on, you should spend more time at sea and try to catch as many fish as possible. When you have saved enough money, you could buy a bigger boat and catch even more fish. Soon you will be able to afford to buy more boats, set up your own company, your own production plant for canned food and distribution network. By then, you will have moved out of this village and to Sao Paulo, where you can set up HQ to manage your other branches.”
The fisherman continues, “And after that?”
The businessman laughs heartily, “After that, you can live like a king in your own house, and when the time is right, you can go public and float your shares in the Stock Exchange, and you will be rich.”
The fisherman asks, “And after that?”
The businessman says, “After that, you can finally retire, you can move to a house by the fishing village, wake up early in the morning, catch a few fish, then return home to play with kids, have a nice afternoon nap with your wife, and when evening comes, you can join your buddies for a drink, play the guitar, sing and dance throughout the night!”
The fisherman was puzzled, “Isn’t that what I am doing now?”
This kind of thing definitely happens today. It is so tragic that so much of society can find no other way to cope with the inherent characteristics of children, than to diagnose them with a disorder – a diagnosis which usually goes with unnecessary medications.
ReplyDeleteAn example that I’ve seen and experienced more and more, is children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and attention deficit disorder. I don’t know about you all, but when I was a kid, I was curious! I had so much energy and so much zest for life, often it was very challenging to sit still. I also recall having trouble concentrating on homework, when what I’d rather have been doing was playing outside with my friends. Sound familiar? Well, now all I see are children as young as five-years-old being given ADHD medications “to calm them down,” “to help them follow the rules.” This is preposterous! Also, the reviews I’ve gotten from children are that they “feel like zombies or robots when they take their medication,” it gives them “dry mouth, makes them not want to eat, and hard to sleep.” These medications are often times stimulants! Not only can these meds cause short-term damage daily health, they can create a life-long dependency that can turn into a serious addiction.
As practitioners, I think that we should not prescribe any medication to children, until they are at least 16 years old and have their parent and themselves agree upon what medication that would be. It’s also CRUCIAL that children and adolescents know the side effects, both short term and long term of the medication that they’re being prescribed. As counselors, we need to remember what it was like to be a child, we need to educate parents with healthy strategies to help their children learn and listen, but still be allowed to be a kid!
Hi Libby,
DeleteI also think that this is a really important topic to think about - at what age should we medicating children, and for what reasons? I agree that medicating young is a not a good idea. I also think that we need to revamp the way we teach children too, to respond to their different needs. I have a child in my extended family that is 7 and is on meds for ADHD. One of the deciding factors of his parents to put him on the meds was that he kept getting in trouble at school, despite the parents getting the proper accommodations at school and explaining his diagnosis. Getting in trouble so much was leading to fairly bad self esteem as well as isolation from his peers. If we lived in a society that better accepted the different learning styles of kids and allowed for flexibility in expectations.
I agree with most of what has been so far above - that this sort of thing does still happen today. I myself do not have a ton of experience working with children - (I commend those who work with kids, for it is certainly not my calling in life). However, my mom is an LCSW, and begun her career at a Child and Family Services. Now that we are both in the social work field, she has talked with me about her work there. She said that the most challenging thing for her in that job was that parents would come to her and ask her to "fix" whatever was "wrong" with their children. This was challenging, my mom explained, because more often than not, the kids were only reacting to what was going on with their parents. If the parents were stressed, so were the kids. \
ReplyDeleteThis brings me to what I think that we can do better to serve the children that we end up working with - treating the family unit as a whole and ensuring that the kids and their "symptoms" are not seen in an isolated way. This takes a lot of education (and possibly therapy) on the parent side of things. Parenting skills and knowledge is a key component of treating children.
One last thing that I feel is important to mention is that a society, we often discredit children and their feelings. In ways that we dismiss those with mental illness, we dismiss children and think that we know better than them. I think that this is also a super important part of working with and serving children - ensuring that they know you believe them, and that their thoughts and opinions matter.
"In ways that we dismiss those with mental illness, we dismiss chidlren and think that we know better than them." This is such a powerful statement, Erin! I think a lot of people aren't really sure how to communicate with children (including a lot of parents, unfortunately), or don't respect them as unique individuals and therefore speak over them. They need to be an active part of whatever treatment plan is chosen or it won't last, it won't work, and it won't be the most ethical way to treat the child. Kids are smart, and often have far more insight into their own situations than most providers give them credit for.
DeleteI like your thought about treating children holistically not just a set of symptoms. I think it is easier to treat the symptoms to hope for the best and adjust medications for the worse. Like yourself, I have not worked with a lot of children but I have worked with parents and I am an auntie! I see my brother and sister-in-law struggle with my niece's poor emotional regulation but they just switch their approaches and learn from the missteps. "...I feel is important to mention is that a society, we often discredit children and their feelings." I think you hit the nail on the head with this. Kids have more to offer than we are willing to receive.
DeleteI absolutely agree that children are still treated this way today. Something I'm noticing as a familiar refrain in a lot of the media from this class is the tendency to medicate individuals as a means of eradicating certain behaviors that have been deemed "inappropriate", rather than looking at an individual holistically and seeing their intrinsic value. Someone I know was diagnosed with ADHD in middle school, and at one point described the cocktail (i.e. 5+) of medications he was prescribed to address his symptoms and the various other side effects that came with the original medication. Every morning before school started, he'd take his medications, become physically ill, and then start his day. Despite telling his teacher, his parents, and his doctor that he didn't feel like himself on these medications, that he was incredibly uncomfortable, he found himself going to the principal's office for disciplinary reasons frequently and his report cards often came back with negative comments. This, combined with the typical difficulties associated with being a teenager in high school, absolutely took its toll on his self esteem. As an adult, he talks about his disdain for the educational system and how limited it is in terms of addressing students with different learning styles. He mentioned one example where he took a test, thought he passed it, but realized that he'd failed it. When he re-read the test, he realized he hadn't understood the questions (or the intent behind them) correctly, but that he'd answered the questions he THOUGHT he'd been asked correctly. For students who struggle to sit still for long periods of time, or remain quiet (AKA most children), or who require different methods of instruction, the system marginalizes them, and often educators and families turn to medication as the only and most important solution. As others have said, we need to look at children holistically, LISTEN TO THEM, include their families in their treatment and look for underlying causes rather than focusing on symptoms of the root issue(s).
ReplyDeleteMeg,
DeleteI can relate to your post on a bunch of levels. I too, was thinking about a classmate while writing my post. I remember in roughly 3-4th grade when we all started to understand that this person was taking medications for ADHD it became a topic of ammusement for our class as sad as it is to say. Whenever this student acted out of line even a little our class would whisper "..... didnt take his meds today" like at 8 years old we even knew what that meant. I can image not only how frustrating it must have been for him to have the meds in the first place but the fact that it became a topic of attention to his classmates must have also been so so hard to deal with. I appreciate your story in your own post as it helped me recognize some of my own past in school.
- Spencer
Hi Spencer,
DeleteThanks for this response! It's both sad and unsurprising that so many of us have personal experiences or know kids like this who have been marginalized in this way. When I think about ADHD, not only do I think about all the mean comments kids can get from their peers, but also I think about the disparity in diagnosis and the social differences in gender - how many little girls' symptoms were ignored or not taken seriously? The way mental illness can play out schools is so problematic, and it's frustrating that kids have to deal with the repercussions of it.
Megan, You bring up some excellent points regarding the man you know with ADHD. I think education systems are designed for those that can sit still and listen. I think there is something wrong with our methods of teaching and not the learning styles of our students.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Becky! This comment makes me think about the fact that our current educational system is really the result of the Industrial Revolution, and is designed to churn out workers rather than creative, critically-thinking minds. So in that way, our educational system isn't "broken", per se - it's doing exactly what it was made to do. But there are, of course, kids who don't fit this kind of mold and they're being marginalized and disenfranchised. We as a culture should look at the way we think about education, who is 'deserving' of what (in terms of resources), and who our current system is running over.
DeleteThat’s a great point about our school systems built to “churn out workers rather than creative, critically-thinking minds.” In some ways the asylums were also created to house the mentally ill. They were not focusing on wellness, creativity, and ways of dealing with emotional regulation. Integrating healthy living and wellness into schools is a positive direction to go forward as it might meet the needs of many students.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteI think that anything can happen and that is not a form of motivational encouragement. It is not uncommon to hear stories similar to Howard Dully; many people subscribe to podcasts that ensure stories that are similar and horrific. Gypsy Rose Blanchard was a young girl living with severe mental health and medical diagnoses cared for by a loving mother, Dee Dee Blanchard. Dee Dee took her to doctors’ appointments and cared for her wellbeing day in and day out. She struggled and fussed over financial debt caused by her daughters’ illnesses until the compassionate community helped ease the burden. Gypsy Rose was a lucky girl to go on many vacations, be a part of exciting events, and it was all thanks to her loving mother, Dee Dee. This was the perception the “loving” Dee Dee accomplished projecting to the public. In reality, Gypsy was a healthy 20-year-old being improperly treated for illnesses she never had. Her mother however was brutally murdered by her daughter and the true stories revealed Dee Dee would have been diagnosed with Munchausen by proxy. Whether it's a simplistic story of parents giving their restless child ADHD medications or mothers who scapegoat their children to conceal their own disorders, the ultimate question is: What can we do as practitioners to limit the risk to kids? Releases, coordination of care, asking questions to appropriate confront clients, and keeping open communication with peers and supervisors. I have not worked with children during my internship, but I have worked with parents seeking custody of their children. There is a reason for policies in place and a reason why we are taught to use our creative and inquisitive minds for the care of our clients. There is a saying I learned when I was first attending counseling, "It's easier to make a strong child than to fix a broken adult."
ReplyDeleteRebecca,
DeleteThe saying you quoted is one of my favorites, and I discuss it fairly frequently with the parents of my clients. I have only ever encountered one parent in my career who had been diagnosed with Munchausen syndrome by proxy, but it was one of the most difficult cases I have ever been involved in. Though the parent did not take it as far as See See Blanchard did, she insisted that her child was ill and kept her home from school for over 100 days. When the State became involved, the mother began to tell her child to cough, cry, and complain of pain that she did not have. We found this out when I interviewed the child away from the mother during a routine doctor appointment. The child was placed with a different family member, but she experienced a great deal of anxiety and depression due to it. We must find a way to work with children when they are young, and educate parents so that these issues can be avoided as much as possible. It is such a difficult situation, but something must be done.
Kaitlynn Littlefield
Like some of the other post on here already, I feel that society is now more than ever looking for a quick solution to our problems. This is not the first time I have said this in a post either, however, it seems to come up all of the time with these sorts of issues. I do fully believe that children are still at times the scapegoat in family situations. I do not have kids myself so I cant really put myself in a parents shoes, however, I do see and hear things in every day life where people talk about just needing to get away from the kids, or not being able to do certain things because of their kids. I can imagine it is a 24/7 job having children, it just saddens me that people are so quick to blame their personal mental health or whatever issues on the kids. At the end of the day kids are kids.. Similar to the topic in our paper assignment this week, I just think that society tends to get "annoyed" with kids just being kids, and wants them to sort of just be there rather than BE there? Kids cannot yet advocate for themselves in a way that a doctor or a frustrated parent is going to fully understand, which makes them perfect candidates to take meds without pushback. A hyper kid gets ADHD meds because it is more work for the adult to meet their learning needs, a temperamental kid get antipsychotic meds because the adult has not learned how to naturally manage the behavior, so on and so on. Can we just slow down for a minute and attempt to look at the full circle for the good of the kids. Do they learn in a tactile, kinesthetic way? If so, maybe being forced to sit at a school desk isnt the best option, doesn't mean that they have ADHD.. We just need to attempt to see from their point of view. I do understand that some children do honestly need the help of a medication, and I believe we have great people in place to aid those children, but not every child needs that support immediately. anyways, I have really enjoyed that this class allows us to be critical of these societal issues, I like to be critical of stuff that doesn't make sense!
ReplyDelete- Spencer
Spencer,
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you are saying. As a parent, it also saddens me when parents feel that they "need" to "get away" from their kids when their children are just acting their age. When a parent's expectation of their child exceeds the child's own age or ability, it can be incredibly frustrating. With that said, not everyone is the same and sometimes certain people need to take more frequent breaks from stressors due to their own health. I feel that this is important because they need to be supported, too. These parents, when identified, must be offered tools to help reduce their stress and/or increase respite, but only when necessary and not when they want the convenience of being child free. Raising children is difficult. I do wish we still had a "village" mentality, where family members, friends and neighbors worked together. Instead, though, I think that providers can step up and offer services to help these parents. The services are out there. They exist. We need to bridge the gap now and help support them, so that the children do not suffer in the long run.
Kaitlynn Littlefield
Kaitlynn, I completely agree! As a children's case manager I do feel like parents are saying things like "they need a break" or the expectations of their child are unrealistic. For example, I work with a family composed of a single guardian and child who has experienced significant trauma. Often the guardian will struggle when the guardian perceives the child needs more support than a child of his age "should".
ReplyDeleteI do agree the services are out there but also agree they can be difficult to access (waitlists and barriers to accessing these services).