Quote:
Originally posted by Lizanabavi
Far too often it is racism: I can not tell you how many of my students have been labeled ADHD and they were'nt. When I first began teaching, I taught at a predominately white school and was given the "problem" children who were deemed deficit.
All with the exception of one were black, I reviewed their files and it made me sick what they contained. After a certain period my students grades; test scores; and, behavior improved. My co-workers were "amazed" at how well those "problem" students behaved. Whatever.
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i'm pretty surprised about that too! i teach in a predominately black school. about 2/3 of my class is black, 4 kids are white and the rest hispanic.
i have 3 kids (that i know of) on medication and all of them are white! 2 girls and one boy. i do have one black boy and a hispanic girl who SHOULD be on medication, but that is another story!
i find that most of the behavior problems come from my children with broken homes. one boy's (black) father doused the house with gasoline and tried to set the family on fire. another boy's (black) mother and brother are in a mental institution. another girl's (white) father hung himself last year.
with ADHD, we as teachers are FORBIDDEN to recommend medication or testing to a parent. is this the same way in other places too? i am curious to know if it is just a NY thing. we would have to say something to the school psychologist who then has to make an observation and then talk to the parents. i have seen some of my ADHD students off meds and let me tell you, it is a nightmare. i feel for the teachers who had them before they were medicated.
i am interested to hear what the rest of you GC teachers have to say and if your situation is similar to mine. i really wouldn't label it racism. maybe in your school it is. that's definitely ignorance. honestly, too, the medication is expensive. many of these families whose kids DO need medication can't afford it and therefore make it seem like nothing is wrong with their children. then they wonder why their children don't learn or are always in trouble.