I have two sons, one of which was "diagnosed" ADHD and the other as ADD. What I noticed when my eldest was "diagnosed" was that, at that time, it was very en vogue to have an ADD/ADHD child. I had a ready excuse as to why my son behaved the way that he did and doctors who were more than willing to back up the excuse and prescribe medicine to "manage" his symptoms. What both of my sons' "disorders" boiled down to was my inability as a parent to overcome and adapt. Their father was given the go-ahead to blame every behavioral issue on the diagnosed disorder and to blame me for not having solved the issue.

Without going into dramatic detail about their upbringing, it was much more convenient for their father to manage them through medications. Any discussion that I initiated focusing on ending their medications and his taking a more active role in parenting were met with...shall we say...unpleasant results. So, both children were made drug-dependent. Of course, if I knew then what I do now, I would have taken the children, left sooner, and changed everything about how they were living and being raised.

First: I would have gotten rid of cable TV and not allowed them to use the computer - EVER. Video games might have been allowed, but they would have been strictly monitored. Their visual stimulations and exposures would have been strictly monitored - STRICTLY monitored.

Second: I would have changed their diets, completely. No fast-foods, no gluten, no processed foods, etc., and that includes milk, eggs, and other dairy - it would have been 100% organic, even if I had to sell blood to afford it. "What if they didn't want to eat it?" Well, they would have gone hungry until they DID eat what was provided for them. "Woulnd't that have caused an eating disorder?" Take a look at the children, today - nearly half of all children are defined as obese which can easily be explained due to parents allowing their children to determine their own diets.

Third: I would have homeschooled both boys and become involved in local Home School Associations. Rather than offering intellectual challenges, the "No Child Left Behind" initiative has paved the way to program and dumb-down an entire generation of human beings. Instead of reading, writing, and learning the facts of math, children are now required to be computer literate, use a calculator, take sensitivity awareness training, and move to the next "challenge" ONLY as quickly as the slowest child in the class. Without being required to meet a challenge, children quickly become bored and their behavior deteriorates.

Fourth: I would have enrolled both boys in art lessons, music lessons, or drama/acting lessons. It is a known fact that most children "diagnosed" with ADD/ADHD are above average in creativity and utterly bored. Creative expression through art, music, dance, theater, etc., is not encouraged in most schools, anymore. The budgets are being cut from the creative programs to support sports programs - in MY state, this is true.

Fifth (and, final): I would have them earn money and/or privileges by performing chores AND by maintaining a reasonable level of behavior. Good decisions reap fair and reasonable PRAISE (sometimes, rewards). Bad or foolish decisions reap consequences.

The medical community relies upon diagnosing ADD/ADHD to support their own lifestyle. Each time we visit a physician, we are helping to pay their staff, pay the office's utilities, pay the physician's mortgage, and finance the physician's next trip to Cancun. A Western Physician is never going to say, "You know, why not try driving past McDonald's and MAKING a meal for your kid?" or, "All of that Dr. Pepper that you child is drinking really does have an affect on his behavior!" or, "Those video games that your child keeps playing is keeping her fat, lazy, bored, and overstimulated," OR, "It isn't necessary to involve your children in adult discussions that they cannot process, emotionally."

What ever happened to Summer Camp? What ever happened to kids playing Chinese Checkers with neighborhood friends? What ever happened to kids entertaining themselves with Tonka trucks in the backyard?