By Lori Ehde
Nearly 20 percent of the United States population has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
In the next 10 years, doctors predict the number of identified ADD or ADHD cases could reach 30 percent.
Jim McCauley, Sioux Falls, is one of the thousands of Americans diagnosed with ADHD. He overcame the disorder through medication with family support and went on to become a therapist working with children with the disorder.
McCauley, who now has 10 years of experience, spoke to a small crowd of parents and educators Tuesday night at Luverne Elementary School.
"This is a we thing, not a me thing," he said. "It's not just me. It affects the whole family and everything we do and will ever do."
He presented information regarding medication, strategies, practical ideas for home and school along with new research on diagnosis and medication.
"I'm not a pill pusher by any means," he said, "but if you were with me until 9:30 tonight, you'd wish I was."
He spoke about common fears among parents of ADHD children regarding medication.
"I hear all the time that parents are afraid their child will become addicted," he said. "It did the opposite for me. If you want to keep your kids from drug and alcohol addiction, the earlier the intervention, the better, because the medication will allow them to make the right choices."
He talked about how ADHD drove him to drink and use drugs.
"I went through 29 years of hell," he said. "I'm here to tell you it will prevent the addiction from occurring. It will keep them from self-medicating with other drugs and alcohol."
While medication isn't the only mode of treatment for ADHD, he said parents need to learn as much as they can about the commonly prescribed medications to alleviate unnecessary fears.
He said the three most commonly prescribed drugs for ADHD are Ritalin, Adderall and Dexadrine.
Some people diagnosed with multiple disorders, such as ADHD and depression, can find relief from both conditions with one treatment.
"Improved mood can help concentration, and better concentration improves mood," he said.
Outside of medication, McCauley offered some specific advice for schools and parents dealing with children with ADHD. He called them the three Cs and the three Ss.
"You need to be consistent, concise and concrete," he said.
For example, when asking them to do something, don't give them several things to do at once. Take one thing at a time, and be very specific about the task and when it should be done.
"Also, kids with ADHD need support, supervision and structure," he said. "Do you know where you'll find more ADHD people than anywhere else in the world? In the military, because it offers the three Cs and the three Ss."
He also reminded parents and teachers of the importance of positive reinforcement. Because of their often difficult behavior, ADHD children constantly hear about what they're doing wrong or not getting done, which can lead to self-esteem problems.
"How many negative things did your child hear tonight?" he asked the group. "How many positive things did they hear? Some ADHD children only hear the negative things. For every one negative thing, they should hear nine positive things."
McCauley's office, ADHD Specialty Services, is located in Sioux Falls. He can be reached at JamesM6384@aol.com. More information can be found at www.adhdinfo.net.
Luverne has modest number of ADHD students
ADHD expert Jim McCauley spoke highly of Luverne's approach to identifying and treating the disorder in its classrooms.
He said the Luverne district is doing far better than neighboring districts, such as Sioux Falls and Worthington, in cautiously identifying ADHD.
"Luverne is doing real well," he said, specifically praising the efforts of School Psychologist Renee Guy and the school staff.
"You have one of the best school psychologists you could ever have. She's one of the few school psychologists I trust."
In Luverne's K-12, 43 students receive ADHD medication through the school nurse's office. That's less than 3 percent of the total student body of 1,350 students, and it's something Luverne can be proud of, according to Guy.
"There are some schools where parents feel their schools are pushing medication, but I can say that doesn't happen here," she said. "I do not think we're over-identifying it in Luverne."
While the number of identified ADHD students in Luverne is modest, Guy said a good share of her time is spent with parents and teachers evaluating potential problems.
"We know these are bright kids," she said, "but we'll notice a discrepancy between what they know and how they're performing in the classroom."
She said ADHD can take on different forms that school staff members have come to recognize.
"Some have behavioral problems and some can't complete their work. For some, it's problems with peer relationships, and for others it's self-esteem," she said. "We need to keep in mind that each case is different, and we want to do what's best for the child."
In the end, it's always up to the parents to decide on treatment or if their children should be tested for the disorder. Parents can request testing at any time.
Either way, Guy said, the well-being of the child is greatly improved by an aggressive communication system the Luverne system has in place between teachers, doctors and parents.
"We check the child's overall development, then parents may choose to take that information to a doctor. If parents have concerns, they can discuss them with a teacher so we can evaluate overall development."
She said what's best for the child may or may not be medication.
"There are a lot of neat things we can do to improve a child's behavior," she said, "but the bottom line is we need to look at how we can improve their academic success."