Pat: re responding quickly being considered ignorant: What should I do
with rappers - Sure sounds to me like those folks come up with words
that fit pretty fast! Geoff Crealock

Pat Rauch wrote:
> 
> Here in the states the Stanford Binet and ADDHD and ADD put the classes of
> blacks and hispanics in mentally retarded or special ed classes. I sometimes
> feel that yes these classes seem to abuse drugs, drink and smoke while
> pregnant but on the other hand there are other mitigating factors which
> might put a child on Ritalin. For instance the Wechsler for children in
> African Culture slow thinking is the norm it is considered ignorant if you
> respond quickly so therefore this diagnosis could come about or mentally
> retarded.
> The Stanford Binet is a language based test ergo anyone not speaking English
> is reclassed. We had a class experiment those of you across the pond would
> appreciate this. Dr. Treacy started using word association but doing it with
> English terminonolgy to demonstrate how biased all this testing is. She used
> words like lift, boot, petrol, and alot of students in the class did not get
> it.
> This is a good example of how the bias comes into play. PET scans are the
> true indicators of mental defect but doctors refuse to offer them they
> clearly point out in blue which areas are deficint.
> Pat
> On Thu, 27 Apr 2000 18:02:40 +0200, [log in to unmask] wrote:
> 
> >  A general note...
> >  Would anyone like to take a bash at deconstructing the latest mailing? I
> >  find it difficult to unpack without falling into the trap of using a host
> 
> >  of labels or socially imposed categories which all place the "sufferer"
> >  outside the perimeters of some predefined social norms. ADD seems to have
> 
> >  grown bigger than its initials and become some kind of umbrella term
> >  denoting a particular 'disorder', 'social pathology' or 'learning
> >  disability'.  (Please note tentative use of terms).  This label in turn
> >  seems to include or link to  other so called disorders or personality
> >  traits which in turn seem very closely linked to the individual's
> capacity
> >  to interact with others in a socially or institutionally prescribed way,
> >   or to perform at a certain level at a certain time of his or her life
> (as
> >  in education).
> >   As the mailing by D.Goss has shown, diagnosis and the use of medication
> >  can and does help some, maybe more than it hurts so I would in no way
> like
> >  this to be read as a negation of individual experience.
> >  But I would like to ask the following questions- To what extent are
> >  diagnoses such as ADD related to a particular class or national culture?
> >  And as such are they 'products'  of a time and place?
> >  If ADD or ADHD had not been "discovered" is it possible that many other
> >  names, labels or diagnoses would have been offered as a substitute. Or to
> 
> >  put it another way, is it possible that the labelling process has exluded
> 
> >  more refined diagnoses of the perceived problems in each individual case-
> 
> >  leading possibly, amongst other things, to the heavy handed prescription
> of
> >  drugs such as ritalin to young children?
> >  And to what extent do you feel therapy/indivdual intervention with a
> >  therapist counsellor can help someone diagnosed with ADD/ADHD? Does
> anyone
> >  have any experience in working with children or adolescents in this
> >  capacity?
> >  Thanks- Helen H.
> >  -----Original Message-----
> >  From:        Rennie, Steve            [HES] [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> >  Sent:        Thursday, April 27, 2000 1:47 PM
> >  To:  [log in to unmask]
> >  Subject:     RE: Research Continued
> >
> >  D. Goss puts my concerns about Ritalin prescription for children
> diagnosed
> >  as suffering from ADHD very well. I too think that it is prescribed
> >  primarily to meet the needs of other people rather than those of the
> child
> >  and it is the ethics of this that worry me greatly.
> >
> >  I feel somewhat guilty that I have less concerns about similar treatment
> of
> >  adults. I am aware of many people who are forcibly treated with drugs
> when
> >  their behaviours are socially unacceptable and I do little about that. I
> >  cannot help but feel however that this situation is worse when the person
> 
> >  forcibly treated is a child, especially when the presenting symptoms vary
> 
> >  only slightly from established social norms and are so easily confused
> with
> >  cultural differences.
> >
> >  To whom can the child turn for advocacy while still a child? What
> >  compensation is available if Ritalin turns out to have long term effects
> >  which are harmful?
> >
> >  Stephen Rennie, Leeds Metropolitan University
> >  [log in to unmask]
> >
> >
> 
> PSYCHOLOGY IS TO HELP NOT HINDER
> Pat Rauch
> 
> _______________________________________________________
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