Attention Deficit Disorder. What is it? How is it affecting our children and our schools? Attention Deficit Disorder is a syndrome that usually begins during one's childhood and persists throughout one's life. It is characterized as a syndrome resulting in hyperactivity, shortened attention spans and being impulsive in different areas of life. Attention Deficit Disorder has been, sadly, treated as an excuse for many of the culture's social and education problems and is costing many students their health and their own personalities.



Attention Deficit Disorder has been overly diagnosed in the children of the United States. A large percentage of children go to the nurse's office after lunch in order to take their pill; the pill that will help them perform better and sit still. One area that this overmedicating is trying to cover up is the lack of activities that stimulate the children of this culture in schools. The incredible rate at which this culture receives information, especially our children, is astounding and difficult to compete with in order to keep the children involved in learning and conversation. Finally, the lack of parental involvement and support is another issue that is not being dealt with as severely as it should be, due to the overmedicating of today's children.

Everywhere you look, one can see beautiful new school buildings going up with highly medicated children and very little learning going on inside. Teachers have reached their final rope when it comes to figuring out how to reach the children they teach. Hands on activities aren't fast paced enough. Games are too boring and books are a thing of the past for many children in the schools today. Many teachers aren't even trying new approaches, but giving up and going to worksheet and textbook-based teaching. No adult would want to be a part of that class. Children are naturally more energetic and into exploring this vast world and we are not allowing them the opportunities at school or at home to utilize the energy they have been blessed with.

Much of this lack of interest is due to the media today. Most children in this culture, spend well over a fourth of their existence in front of a television, movie screen, computer, or video game. No wonder we can't keep them entertained for very long. They are so used to the fast paced culture in which we live, they have been programmed to not be interested long. Isn't that what the media is all about? Moving on to the next thing, the "better" thing? This is not being properly dealt with, due to the society blaming Attention Deficit Disorder.

Finally, parental involvement and what goes on in the home is what is critical when it comes to the temperament and attention span of a child. Many children in this nation do not have the time with their families that they need in order to learn what it looks like to behave rightly or to have an attention span longer than a few minutes, because their parents act no different than their children. "Attention Deficit is to blame we say."

Something must be done in the areas just discussed. Attention Deficit Disorder is not to blame. We are overmedicating and under educating our youth, using Attention Deficit as an excuse. While there may be a small number of individuals whom the medication does help, many children are losing their identities to a small pill each day.