Some Suggestions Cont. 2

Disciplinary Problems?

Perhaps there are disciplinary issues with a child that need to be addressed:

“The medicalization of normal boyish behavior stems, in part, from changes in schools’ disciplinary procedures,” Dr. Walker wrote. Nowadays, “even verbal discipline is frowned upon if it lowers a child’s ‘self-esteem.’ Some schools have actually been sued for attempting to discipline students who misbehave. The new philosophy, therefore, seems to be, ‘If you can’t beat ‘em, treat ‘em.’ Teachers often see a disability label as the only effective means of getting help in dealing with students who are out of control but can’t be disciplined in any effective manner,” he added.

Dr. Fred A. Baughman, Jr., a pediatric neurologist and Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology, says that parents, teachers and children have been horribly betrayed when a child’s behavior is labeled as a disease: They “believe they have something wrong with their brains that makes it impossible for them to control themselves without using a pill.” This is reinforced by “having the most important adults in their lives, their parents and teachers, believe this as well.”

Dr. Walker concurred: “One of the greatest sins of doctors who label normal children hyperactive is that they are telling children, in effect, ‘You’re not responsible for your behavior.’ In addition, they are telling parents that simple discipline won’t work, because their children have brain disorders that prevent them from behaving. Excusing out-of-control behaviors in a normal, healthy child simply causes more such behaviors—and the range of behaviors that are being attributed to hyperactivity and attention deficits, and which can thus be excused by children as out of their control—borders on the ludicrous.”

Learning How to Learn

Ensure that a child understands his or her educational basics including phonics. If not, tutoring may be needed.

According to Learning How To Learn, a book which teaches a student how to study, based on the works of L. Ron Hubbard:

The First Barrier to Study

The first barrier to study is not having the real thing there that you are studying about. Studying about something without having the actual thing you are studying about can give you trouble; it can make you feel squashed, bent, sort of spinny, sort of lifeless, bored or angry. You can wind up with your stomach feeling funny. You may get headaches, feel dizzy from time to time and very often your eyes will hurt.

The way to stop this from happening is to get the real thing that you are studying about. When this is not possible, a picture or a movie will help.

The Second Barrier to Study

The second barrier to study involves the skipped gradient. A gradient is a way of learning or doing something step by step. If you hit a step that seems too hard to do or you feel you can’t understand it, you have skipped a gradient. “Skipped” means left out or missed. If you have skipped a gradient, you may feel a sort of confusion or reeling. “Reeling” means moving or swaying like you might fall. There was too much of a jump because you did not understand what you were doing, and you jumped to the next thing and that step was too steep. The trouble is not with the new step; it is at the end of the step you thought you understood well.

To correct this, find out what you thought you understood well just before you got all confused. Get this step understood well, and you will be able to do the next step.

The Third Barrier to Study

The third and most important barrier to study is the misunderstood word. A misunderstood word is a word which is not understood, or a word which is wrongly understood. Going past a word that you do not understand can make you feel blank, tired, or like you are not there. You might also feel worried or upset.

The only reason you would stop studying or get confused or not be able to learn is because you passed a word you did not understand. It can stop you from doing the things you are studying about. It can make you want to stop studying.

The way to handle this barrier is to look earlier in what you were reading for a misunderstood word.

The misunderstood word is the most important of the barriers to study because it is the one that can stop you from learning anything at all.

4. SAY “NO” TO ABUSE; FILE CRIMINAL AND CIVIL COMPLAINTS

File a police report about incidents of psychiatric abuse and fraud. Send CCHR a copy of your complaint. You can also seek legal advice about filing a civil suit against any offending psychiatrist and his or her hospital, associations and teaching institutions for damages. Medical or psychological associations can also investigate and revoke or suspend a psychiatrist’s or psychologist’s license to practice.

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