Race, Class, and Gender in Literacy Research (Summer 2011)

Carrie,
I, too, wondered if the medication actually exacerbated Laurie's academic difficulties. It seemed that literacy was a strong point for her in her kindergarten year, at least until she was medicated for the ADD. I found it very interesting that Hicks also categorized Laurie's experiences in kindergarten into before medication and after medication. It must have been so frustrating for both Laurie and Hicks. As the teacher, it is extremely difficult to sit back and watch a student "lose their voice" as Hicks put it. Hopefully, with our new RTI process, there won't be as many instances of this actually happening due to possible misdiagnosis of a disorder.

Carrie-
I agree it seemed like a sad situation that Laurie was so quickly diagnosed and medicated for ADD without more careful consideration being given to other factors in her life. From what I, read it did not seem to be the right choice for Laurie or help her in ways they had hoped. I was also surprised by Laurie’s reliance on her connection with Nicholas. However, I have had increasing similar situations in my class over the last few years. I’m not exactly sure if there is just one cause but from observations in my room, it could be the younger average age of parents. Their children follow their examples, mimic the behaviors they see, and long for the male attention.

Carrie,

When I think of medication for student behavior, I wonder what the long-range effects could do to children as they grow and develop. Have any studies been done on this? We could have data by now, because I think the turn to medication as a quick cure began about 15 to 20 years ago. It would be interesting to find out how students, who began medication early in life, are faring now. Do they have medical problems? Are they performing on grade level? Do they continue to take narcotics?
When it comes to doses, how can a small child really tell you if the dose is too much. They might not be able to communicate that they think the dose is too high because their heart is racing, their stomach is too upset to handle, or they feel too sleepy at school. Can small children tell you if their symptoms are gradually subsiding? Sometimes the only way to know about the "right" dosage is through observation. I know medication is necessary for some students to behave and perform with success, but I feel that there have been far too many children placed on medications when their rambunctiousness could just be immaturity or as in the case of Laurie, a cry for attention.

Great questions Carol. I've been asking those for years!!! But I don't have any answers...it would be a great research opportunity though...maybe AFTER we finish this Masters! ha ha!

Carrie,

I too wondered why they put a first grade student on medication just because she showed some anger at home and seemed distracted at school. In my experience, medication is a last resort when a student cannot sit still for more than 3 seconds and their academic performance is well below grade level. I think her lack of focus was not ADD as much as it was frustration for not feeling adequate in the classwork given and her home discourse. I wonder if her first grade teacher had used small group instruction, would Laurie have shown more progress than she did with the basal readers that were above her instructional level of reading and comprehension?

Carrie,

I agree that people resort to medication too often and too fast. I feel like medication should be a last resort. Kind of like with the RTI process- you have to do all these other interventions and things to help the student, and if they are STILL not working, then they may be pulled out for extra help. When I read this, I was kind of shocked to hear that they had diagnosed Laurie with ADD. Honestly, I thought she was just having some emotional problems and desperate for attention. I feel like they should have taken a few different paths before going down the path of medication.

Candy Kee
Carrie,
I agree that medication is not the answer and is only a band aid to cover an underlying problem. Unfortunately, children's personality and behavior including social, emotional and intellectual for the most part have been established before they enter Kindergarten. I have seen many student's placed on medication because they are a danger to themselves and others. One of the worst cases I have ever seen was the incessant need of a child to inflict pain and wounds on self. With that being said, yes, we as teachers are obligated to try as many things as possible to help our students before entertaining medication. The possibility of using medication is highly personal for the fammily and they need to be the ones to make the decision. I have seen medication work wonders with a child and they took off in their academics and learning and I have seen children medicated that act like zombies. Again, I wonder what the impact of negative home environment verses positive and literate does to our children.

Carrie - you raise an important point about medicine. I had a student whose paretns stated that they would rather have a "C" student not medicated rather than an "A" student on medicine. I don't know how I would feel about that if I were in that situation. Some parents do a great job of controlling diet and have consistancy at home and try everything they can to encourage the teacher to be consistant as well to keep from medicating their child. I admire that. I am not advocating for medication or no medication just making an observation.