It seems like teachers especially are constantly referring students to the doctor for medication for each of these illnesses
. Of course, many people actually do have trouble focusing and this is not to be denied but at what point have these drugs become drugs of convenience for teachers looking to squash the creativity of students who are a little more active and a little less compliant?
This is a question that many parents face when they are faced with a teacher or doctor recommending these medications to help increase focus. And while most of these kids can't fully express what happens to them when they are on these medications for the most part they do conform better to the classroom setting and they do tend to get better grades once the right dose of the right medication is achieved.
For many this medication is being dispensed very early on and most people feel that in the early stages of childhood that what the teachers may be seeing is problems within the home or very simply immaturity in the child who is unwilling to conform. However, it is the teachers that seem to be diagnosing these children very early on and sending them and their parents to the doctor's office to fix this problem.
ADD and ADHD diagnosis isn't very definitive. There is no blood test, or X-ray that can prove a child has this condition. It's a series of questions asked and the answers are based on the opinion of the parent or the observations of the teacher. Even the most average child displays some of the behaviors that are questioned. After all, they are still children.
While children with ADD are not considered normal many of them have extremely high IQ's and are very creative. As an adult, these attributes can be looked upon favorably and often times are extremely successful. Albert Einstein was considered to have ADD. Parents have to way the pros and cons of taking the medications that are being offered as a way to focus their children and look into the other alternatives than medication.