Labeling and children waiting assements and resources.

psycjay

Being labelled can be a double edged sword. On one hand, a professional diagnosis can open up opportunities and entitlements that would not be there without the diagnosis. On the other hand, a label can be stigmatising.

There is no easy solution to this problem but people should bear in mind that various different professionals are better suited to different problems. Above all else children (and adults) should be given the best treatment to suit their particular set of problems.

Parents need to be in tune with what options are out there, second opinions are crucial. Focus on the problem not the label, many of these disorders are not well defined at all, and often not based on hard biological evidence, but on subjective assessment. If a treatment is not working, try something else.

Lady Chatterton

psycjay wrote: »

Being labelled can be a double edged sword. On one hand, a professional diagnosis can open up opportunities and entitlements that would not be there without the diagnosis. On the other hand, a label can be stigmatising.

There is no easy solution to this problem but people should bear in mind that various different professionals are better suited to different problems. Above all else children (and adults) should be given the best treatment to suit their particular set of problems.

Parents need to be in tune with what options are out there, second opinions are crucial. Focus on the problem not the label, many of these disorders are not well defined at all, and often not based on hard biological evidence, but on subjective assessment. If a treatment is not working, try something else.

I feel that this is a fair and balanced view.

mariaalice

A few small points calling any child a brat is disrespectful but that don't mean you can't question situations but you have to do it in way that is respectful and doesn't stigmatizes people.

To me it seems that she/he was with children who had (1) learning difficulties or (2) behavior difficulties or (3) learning difficulties and behavior difficulties, So why were they siting at the same table in a class surely thats only going to stigmatize them and reinforce negative behaviors.

SOME children misbehave not because they have a condition they do it because ...they are children..they are looking for attention...thy are bullies...they have never been given boundaries...they have neglectful or inconsistent parents and so on.

When i was in America a few years ago i saw an ad on telly saying ...are you an adult with ADD then it listed some symptoms then it said take *named medication* ask you doctor for it now! it was almost funny the symptoms it mentioned were.. not living up to your full potential..impulsive, over spending money, etc

Butterflylove

astra2000 wrote: »

Below is some of the signs of add/adhd that I have copied from help guide .org. Does this sound like anyone youve met recently .ie those "brats"?

We all know kids who can’t sit still, who never seem to listen, who don’t follow instructions no matter how clearly you present them, or who blurt out inappropriate comments at inappropriate times. Sometimes these children are labeled as troublemakers, or criticized for being lazy and undisciplined. However, they may have ADD/ADHD.

This is word for word in how I would describe my little brother and how he behaves in school.

We were out for a game of bowling with my nieces and nephews, and he and one of the girls were 'play fighting' with him, she hurt him by accident and he threw a fit screaming shouting crying just generally behaving like a 2 year old.

He's 12 and suffers with ADHD (as well as a few other things) as a result of my mam been quite old when she had him (47)
My Mother not be able to manage him with out his meds and help he receives on a daily basis. To be honest Im not sure what any of us would do. He had to wait untill he was 6 years old before been tested. And was labelled as a 'bold child'

His young (ex) teacher labelled him as just a 'brat', even though she was fully aware of his condistion, she singled him out in class gave out to him in front of the class and called him stupid, it took 6 months of hard work to get him back into school again because of the affect her words had on him.

I rather children who are just bold are labelled, then the ones who really need a label are not.

astra2000

Butterflylove wrote: »

This is word for word in how I would describe my little brother and how he behaves in school.

We were out for a game of bowling with my nieces and nephews, and he and one of the girls were 'play fighting' with him, she hurt him by accident and he threw a fit screaming shouting crying just generally behaving like a 2 year old.

He's 12 and suffers with ADHD (as well as a few other things) as a result of my mam been quite old when she had him (47)
My Mother not be able to manage him with out his meds and help he receives on a daily basis. To be honest Im not sure what any of us would do. He had to wait untill he was 6 years old before been tested. And was labelled as a 'bold child'

His young (ex) teacher labelled him as just a 'brat', even though she was fully aware of his condistion, she singled him out in class gave out to him in front of the class and called him stupid, it took 6 months of hard work to get him back into school again because of the affect her words had on him.

I rather children who are just bold are labelled, then the ones who really need a label are not.

The poor little fella. its so unfair that anyone would treat him like that let alone a teacher who has been through years of recent training, it sounds as if she is not a nice person. I would strongly agree with you that your brother is better off been "labelled" at least this can help you and your family understand why he behaves the way he does and hopefully other people too.

crofty28

Here Here Butterflyfly Love!

People who view any child as a "Brat" espially those in positions of power (teachers), can profoundly negatively impact the child. We had such a bullying incident with a teacher & my little one was absolutely traumatised & terrified. & like your little brother, my little one had a disgnosis! & for the record... ANY1 who labels a child as a brat, really, really should not be working with or responsible for the care of children. None of us know the difficulties individual children may be facing & therefore should not judge & dismiss them in this way.

cynder

For those of you who may be interested!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/note.php?note_id=201223453222074

Reply from Dept of Social Protection Re DCA and advice on completing the application for parents..by Special Needs Parents Association on Monday, 21 February 2011 at 22:06.■Eligibility for DCA is not based primarily on the medical or psychological condition, but on the resulting lack of function of body or mind necessitating the degree of extra care and attention required. Each application is assessed on an individual basis taking account of the evidence submitted.


■The Department uses a set of consistent and objective guidelines in determining the medical eligibility of children for the scheme. These guidelines were drawn up by a Group chaired by the Department's Chief Medical Advisor comprised of senior medical personnel from the HSE as well as eminent professionals in the areas of physical disabilities which affect children, and child psychiatry/psychology.


■The Group considered that the most appropriate way for the Department to conduct assessments for medical eligibility was by assessing evidence submitted by the claimant rather than by way of individual examination by the Department’s Medical Assessors as they are not involved in advice or treatment of the child. The new process in operation in the department involves the submission of a detailed statement by the parent or guardian of the child; a detailed statement by the child’s General practitioner; and any other relevant evidence from qualified experts who have examined the child. The evidence is assessed by designated departmental Medical Assessors who have received special training in Human Disability Evaluation.


■In the case of an application which is refused on medical grounds, the applicant may submit additional information and/or ask for the case to be reviewed by a different Medical Assessor specially designated for this task. Where a person is not satisfied with the decision of a Deciding Officer they may appeal the decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office




So the advise we are giving our familes is that they should keep a diary of EXACTLY what the parent has to do for the over the next few days

- detail absoluately everything you have to do with/for her child, literally step by step the more detail the better.



Also -would advise the parent to think under the following heading & the consider the following pointers:



Communication (difficulty speaking or understanding, making his/ her needs known) – Here, you should list examples of the difficulties your child may have communicating at home, It would also be important to list the difficulties they have with communication in their wider community / school environment, - these are going to require you to give them extra care and support in order for them to remain participating. List examples of the aids or structures you put in place to support communication and time and effort it takes to keeps these up to date etc. You should also refer to any interactions you have had with professionals in relation to this.



Learning – Consider the frequent interactions with schools, appointments with therapists, extra supports you have given at home to get your children through, or going to school. Do you spend more time helping your child with AS with their learning needs? Have you had to work with professionals to develop their understanding of AS?



The remainder of the listed support areas, we feel, are aimed at physical disabilities but may be relevant to your individual circumstances. eg



Feeding – Any issues with compulsions or fixations around food, list supports you have put in place if it is relevant.



Manual Dexterity - (on the form this refers to difficulty picking up objects or doing and undoing buttons or zips) however you could highlight the supports / routines you have to put in place to facilitate your child getting dressed, organising themselves for school etc



Mobility



Toileting – Consider the age appropriateness of the supports you have in place for your child with regards showering /washing. Do you have to engage in a very fixed routine? Does your child have sensitivities around water?



Managing Treatment (medication) – Obviously, if your child is taking medications they should be listed here, and the process you go through to administer them.





Also set out the details of any other care and attention needed by the child:

Here you can outline the supports you are most likely to have in place around:



* Managing Daily Routines / Structures



* Supports you give your child to enable them to participate in social activities



* Any speech and language or occupational input you are engaging privately



* Any extra tuition you facilitate yourself or courses you have enrolled your child in to work on communication and social interaction skills



* Note any extraordinary behaviours your child engages in, the difficulties these present and the demands they place on you, the carer, and any resulting safety (self and others) issues.





Also - you could give information on how how the children life is affected under the following headings -



* Communication

* Social Interaction

* Imagination

* Concentration / Rigid Thinking

* Motivation

* Information Processing

* Anxiety

* Challenging behaviour



Many Thanks to the Associations Treasurer and Secretary of LOFFA Edel Shaw for the information.