Thank you for your post. I am currently working toward licensure in both regular and special elementary education. I am being bombarded by comments from regular ed teachers about what a waste of my talents it would be to teach special education. While I appreciate the compliments regarding my ability to teach, I am greatly troubled by those who seem to feel students with learning differences don't merit a talented teacher. I am the mother of three boys and one daughter. I was advised more than once that I should look into medication for the two eldest boys because they weren't attentive enough. The possibility that their needs weren't being met never was broached by these educators. I refused to succumb to the medication craze and both made it through and are currently college students. Medication was never suggested for my daughter although I am sure there were times she didn't complete work, daydreamed, or was disruptive. I meet with my third son's teacher tomorrow. Seems he's not staying on task with his coloring in kindergarten. Here we go again!
--- In [EMAIL PROTECTED], "Julia Lenko" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > It is most likely that boys are more affected than girls when it comes > to learning to read and attendent behavioural problems. > > Julia > > <http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Children-in-crisis-the-real- diagnosis/2004/12/05/1102182155642.html> > > The Age (Melbourne) > 6 December 2004 > > Children in crisis: the real diagnosis > By Caroline Milburn > > Children's clinics at hospitals nationwide are clogged with youngsters > whose real problem is their inability to read rather than a medical > ailment. > > This is according to the chairman of the Federal Government's inquiry > into reading. > > Dr Ken Rowe, the newly appointed head of the national inquiry into the > teaching of literacy, said psychology clinics at hospitals were > straining to cope with the deluge of children seeking medical attention > for problems caused by their failure to learn to read at school. > > "Hospitals are complaining that their clinics are being filled with kids > who are being referred for things like Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity > Disorder (ADHD)," said Dr Rowe, who was last week appointed by the > federal Education Minister to run the inquiry. "But once the > pediatricians sort out the children's literacy problems, the behaviour > problems disappear. What is essentially an education issue has become a > health issue." > > The Royal Children's Hospital is overhauling its clinical services after > an internal audit revealed that one-quarter of all children who attended > the emergency department and other outpatient services for medical help, > were diagnosed as having non-medical conditions, such as learning > difficulties and behaviour problems. > > Professor Vicki Anderson, director of the hospital's department of > psychology, said she and her colleagues were stunned by the audit's > findings. > > About 500 Victorian children over the past year were treated at the > hospital's Learning Difficulties Centre and demand for its services has > almost doubled each year for the past five years. > > Professor Anderson said many children, sent to the clinic because > teachers, families and GPs believed they had ADHD, did not have the > condition. Instead the child's inattention or poor behaviour in class > was secondary to their primary problem of failing to learn to read. > > "ADHD is clearly overdiagnosed," Professor Anderson said. "The appeal of > a pill for ADHD is much easier than arranging twice-a-week remedial > reading sessions." > > Professor Anderson said specialists in charge of child psychology > clinics at large hospitals in other states had similar concerns about > the growing number of struggling readers attending their clinics. > > She said families often sought help at the Royal Children's Hospital's > learning difficulties clinic because of long waiting periods at schools > to have a child's learning problems assessed by Education Department > psychologists. > > A spokesman for Victoria's Education Department said Professor > Anderson's concerns related to up to 250 students at the hospital's > clinic whose main problem seemed to be reading failure, out of a > statewide population of more than 540,000 students at government > schools. > > He said the department was unaware of lengthy waiting lists for students > who needed assessment of learning problems. > > --- > > Web links: > > RCH: Learning Difficulties Centre > http://www.rch.org.au/learndiff/index.cfm?doc_id=3563 ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/pyIolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/boysed/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
