http://www.redflagsweekly.com/extra/2003_july29.html

July 29, 2003

A WARNING ABOUT BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS IN CHILDREN

By RFD Editor, Nicholas Regush

I have argued consistently and strongly over the years that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is vastly over-diagnosed and that Ritalin, which is typically used as a drug treatment for this condition, is usually unwarranted, and is a huge threat to the health of children. In short, ADHD, by and large, with some exceptions, of course, is a huge con job perpetrated by the worst elements in psychiatry and the drug industry.

On another front, I have been very receptive to the idea that autism is on the rise, perhaps due to either the widespread use of mercury in childhood vaccines, improper medical procedures at birth, faulty nutrition, or the influence of a rapidly decaying environment in which we live that assaults the developing brain — or all of the above, as well as other factors that might be contributing to changes in neurological development. To tie autism primarily to either genes or maternal deprivation, as has sometimes been the case, is a reminder of how foolish and impoverished the human mind can become, particularly when there are some peculiar letters placed after a name, suggesting some exotic rite in passage that prevents the need to continue thinking.

I also feel strongly that medical diagnosis is often a hodgepodge of guesswork, irrational assumptions about how the body works and is often so downright primitive as to be laughable. All the pomp and attitude that goes with a medical education is often a drip drop in the bucket of human intelligence.

So it’s easy to wonder just how many parents are being conned into thinking that there is something terribly wrong with their children. I noted today that a professor in childhood studies at London’s Institute of Education, has suggested that some behavioral conditions, including ADHD and mild autism, are being over-diagnosed and that some of the children are really the victims of being cooped up in one manner or another; that they have high spirits that have not been set free. The professor, Priscilla Alderson, also thinks that bad parenting is to blame in some cases and that psychologists are keen to make money and therefore have a tendency to lower the bar when it comes to a diagnosis.

This makes sense to me. In the case of autism, for example, even given the numerous causal factors that are being explored, one still needs to seriously consider that we do not have good handle on the degree to which children are diagnosed incorrectly by a legion of doctors who may be far too quick on the gun to turn individuals into medical cases.

A story about Alderson’s opinion at BBCNews.com includes comment from autism specialists who called her view "disappointing." We are told that her comments would confuse families and add to their stress. No doubt, but are we simply to dismiss such a viewpoint as "disappointing" because it does not play up to current politically correct agendas?

What is at issue here is medical diagnosis, and unless you have total faith that physicians act in a foolproof manner, then you have to seriously consider that at least some children are going to be categorized inappropriately and not have their true needs adequately assessed. It is sometimes far easier, particularly in medicine, to suck on a thumb and rip off a diagnosis rather than watch where the finger is pointing. So beware.

THE BBCNEWS.COM STORY