Diagnoses

As a young child, our middle son (now 11) was diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety, and pervasive development disorder. First, I will address my current assessment of these diagnoses.

For the ADHD (APA, 2000: 92): I do not believe he currently displays enough signs to be diagnosed with ADHD at this time. If he was left to his own devices (i.e.: if no one ever told him to sit down and stop running around) he would display many if not all of the diagnostic criteria.  That being said, practically any kid would be diagnosed with ADHD if left to his or her own devices in this way.  Our 11 year old shows a few of the criteria, even with parental supervision, but I do not believe he shows enough for a diagnosis and consequent "required" medication.

Anxiety (APA, 2000: 476): I do not believe he currently displays enough signs to be diagnosed with Anxiety of any type.  I believe any anxiety and worry he might feel is normal and warranted for the environment. I believe everyone is entitled to a little anxiety here and there, and that it can even save your life on occasion.

Pervasive Development Disorder (APA, 2000: 75, 84): The jury is still out on this one.  Not being a professional, I cannot be certain of all of the idiosyncrasies.  I would not have a problem with a professional continuing this diagnosis or even that of Autism (low on the scale).

That being said, based on these diagnoses our son has been given an Individualized Educational Program (IEP) in school. The latest one specifies that he "demonstrated significantly below average academic skills in reading, writing, math, and social-behavioral skills" (IEP 3/4/2013) I have to wonder if this statement is based more on his previous diagnoses or because of actual current events.

When I take him into the kitchen and begin to work with him on mathematics or reading, he struggles, but he gains insight into the concept.  In my opinion, all he has to do is focus on the task at hand.  I (the teacher) just have to pay attention to what he is doing in relation to what he is supposed to be doing.  In my opinion, the only reason he fell behind in his studies is because a teacher at school has so many (17 or so) other students who also need attention; the teacher at school doesn't have the time to devote the needed attention to each student individually.

Given his work when he moved back in with us in January, and his work today at the kitchen table, I can see marked improvement in both areas of mathematics and reading.  I lament that his math progressed at school through multiplication and a bare minimum of division at an excruciatingly slow pace.  At home, he shows he is capable of division, and we are moving on to more difficult concepts.  From what I saw at school, they spent about three months on multiplication; at home, he showed an understanding within a week.  Maybe it's my teaching style, more likely it's because I was able to focus on his needs.

Today, we worked on making graphs from tables, and tables from graphs.

In January, he showed that he was "proficient in grammar/usage skills at the Grade 2 level...did not show proficiency in any Grade 3 Reading areas" (IEP 3/4/2013).  Today, he is reading "Voyager Passport D" which I believe is grade level 3 reading material, and "Wild About Snakes: Cobras" and "Scorpion vs. Tarantula", both informative books, give or take grade level 4 reading.  To me, this is substantive progress in the span of a few months!

Again, this is probably more because of my ability to focus the learner and my instruction, as opposed to my superior teaching ability.

The underlying question with all of this: were the previous (and still technically valid) diagnoses ever truly valid?  Did he "grow out" of them?  Did the disabilities correct themselves because of our (my husband's and mine) superior parenting skills?

Leaving more questions than answers, that's how I understand things.

Laura

APA (2000) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: Fourth Edition: Text Revision.  Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association