Strange Symptoms of AD/HD
Recently, in my blog about cognitive engineering, I listed some criteria for AD/HD, as posted by West Virginia University. Don Dansereau suggested that I check the DSM-IV, since that would give the technical criteria used for diagnosis. I found a version summarized by Center for Disease Control and Prevention. It is modified to be readable by the public, but should represent DSM-IV adequately.
Since these are diagnostic criteria, they have important qualifiers on them. Probably the most important qualifier is:
There must be clear evidence of significant impairment in social, school, or work functioning. This is a standard qualifier in clinical psychology. Basically, it says that being weird is OK as long as it doesn’t create problems.
Some symptoms that cause impairment were present before age 7 years. I think the behaviors listed as symptoms are present to some extent in all children under the age of 7. And in lots of children over that age. And in most adults.
Some impairment from the symptoms is present in two or more settings (e.g. at school/work and at home). That way you can tell the difference between problems of the situation and problems of the individual.
The symptoms are generally similar to those in the WVU site. One symptom, however, caught my attention:
Often avoids, dislikes, or doesn't want to do things that take a lot of mental effort for a long period of time (such as schoolwork or homework).
I take it that people who do not have this disorder seek out, like, and want to do things that take a lot of mental effort for a long period of time. Here is your opportunity to test yourself. Go to five of your friends and make the following statement:
“I assume you have noticed that I seek out, like, and want to do things that take a lot of mental effort for a long period of time.”
You must do this with a straight face. You may award yourself one point for each friend that agrees with you while maintaining a straight face.
The theme of my comments on AD/HD is that the symptoms being used for diagnosis are common behaviors. They don’t trigger the AD/HD diagnosis unless they create problems. Those problems usually appear as a failure to conform behavior to the requirements of school. That’s why I call it an ethnogenic disorder. It is created by the cultural requirement to get an education and, in support of that requirement, to conform to the requirements of public schooling.
The label ethnogenic does not mean that something is not a problem. It does suggest that it is not a medical problem. There are other possible solutions. If the culture is the problem, perhaps the culture has the solution. I see that some parents respond to the problem with home schooling. This is an expensive route, not open to many parents.
Other routes are cited at Medicine.net. The non-medical routes are on page 2. Of course, nobody would stop reading on page 1. That might be a symptom of AD/HD. Shifting from one uncompleted task to another, you know.
Since these are diagnostic criteria, they have important qualifiers on them. Probably the most important qualifier is:
There must be clear evidence of significant impairment in social, school, or work functioning. This is a standard qualifier in clinical psychology. Basically, it says that being weird is OK as long as it doesn’t create problems.
Some symptoms that cause impairment were present before age 7 years. I think the behaviors listed as symptoms are present to some extent in all children under the age of 7. And in lots of children over that age. And in most adults.
Some impairment from the symptoms is present in two or more settings (e.g. at school/work and at home). That way you can tell the difference between problems of the situation and problems of the individual.
The symptoms are generally similar to those in the WVU site. One symptom, however, caught my attention:
Often avoids, dislikes, or doesn't want to do things that take a lot of mental effort for a long period of time (such as schoolwork or homework).
I take it that people who do not have this disorder seek out, like, and want to do things that take a lot of mental effort for a long period of time. Here is your opportunity to test yourself. Go to five of your friends and make the following statement:
“I assume you have noticed that I seek out, like, and want to do things that take a lot of mental effort for a long period of time.”
You must do this with a straight face. You may award yourself one point for each friend that agrees with you while maintaining a straight face.
The theme of my comments on AD/HD is that the symptoms being used for diagnosis are common behaviors. They don’t trigger the AD/HD diagnosis unless they create problems. Those problems usually appear as a failure to conform behavior to the requirements of school. That’s why I call it an ethnogenic disorder. It is created by the cultural requirement to get an education and, in support of that requirement, to conform to the requirements of public schooling.
The label ethnogenic does not mean that something is not a problem. It does suggest that it is not a medical problem. There are other possible solutions. If the culture is the problem, perhaps the culture has the solution. I see that some parents respond to the problem with home schooling. This is an expensive route, not open to many parents.
Other routes are cited at Medicine.net. The non-medical routes are on page 2. Of course, nobody would stop reading on page 1. That might be a symptom of AD/HD. Shifting from one uncompleted task to another, you know.
posted by Selby Evans at 9:44 AM
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