Our children are born to be their own, individual, authentic selves - yet when they express their individuality, they are labeled with one or more of a variety of mental, emotional, and/or behavioral disorders. Once a child is ‘diagnosed’ the unthinkable begins to happen - we lose the child we were so excited to bring into this world. These children are made to feel as if they are broken. They are anything but. Our children deserve better.

The states with the lowest per capita income are the states with the most children diagnosed.

1 in 5 - or over 6 million - children, in the United States, between the ages of 3 and 17, have been diagnosed with some form of behavioral or emotional disorder. The next step is typically the writing of a prescription for one of many psychotropic medications. These medications come with an extensive list of dangerous side effects - some immediate and some long term. Parents are rarely told of these dangers. I was never told. No one told me that Adderall was in the same controlled substance class of drugs as cocaine. No one told me that these drugs provide an immediate high and then a drastic drop-off after only 4 hours. No one told me that extended use of these drugs can lead to a complete psychic break resulting in acts of violence. No one told me that the global preference of this disorder is 5% yet, in some states, nearly 15% of the children have been diagnosed and/or medicated for this disorder. No one told me that the Department of Education rewards school districts with an additional $400 for each child they can label with some type of behavioral or learning disorder and since there are no medical tests for ADHD, this is the easiest label to attach to a child.

Observation Diagnosis

In most cases, a teacher will suggest to a parent that there may be a ‘problem’ and parents then bring their concerns to the child’s pediatrician. The classroom teacher may bring the school psychologist into the mix and request that the psychologist observe the child’s interactions in the classroom. Unfortunately, teachers surveyed scored an “F” on the Knowledge of Attention Deficit Disorders Scale (KADDS) (Small, 2003). To meet the criteria for an Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5, 2016 & Pizzorno & Murray, 2011):

Children must exhibit the symptoms for a period of six months or more.

The symptoms must present to a greater degree than other children of the same age.

Six or more symptoms in the hyperactivity-impulsivity categories

Hyperactivity: Fidgets/squirms in seat; Talks non-stop; Dash around – touching or playing with everything in sight; Be constantly in motion; Have trouble sitting still during story time-dinner-or-school; Has difficulty doing quiet tasks or activities.

Impulsive: Very impatient; Blurts out inappropriate comments; Shows emotions without restraint; Has difficulty waiting their turn or waiting for things they want; Acts without regard for consequences; Often interrupts other’s conversations or activities.

WHAT WE ARE TOLD WE NEED TO BELIEVE ABOUT THIS DISORDER

Allopathic Perspective – Cause

It’s genetic – You were born with it – there is nothing you can do about it
Dopamine & Serotonin imbalance - 2 of the over 50 neurotransmitters related to mental health issues – no simple way to measure their levels
Brain Injury or Dysfunction
Prefrontal Cortex
Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal (APA) axis
Transport system malfunction
Tryptophan & Alanine imbalance
Premature Delivery
Low Birth Weight (Causes of ADHD, 2021)

The Real Cost and Effect of this Diagnosis

Financial Cost

As of 2016, the average annual cost of treatment for a child diagnosed with ADHD was $15,036 or $42.5 billion each year (Medical Costs, 2022). This was broken down as:

Doctor visits: $ 2,700
Medications: $ 188
Therapy: $ 2,000
Accidents/Injuries: $ 290
Academic Support: $ 686
Lost Belongings: $ 118
Child Care: $ 3,000 more than traditional childcare
Lost Income: $10,000

These numbers do not include the costs to the State if the child is receiving Medicaid benefits, or if the child has received co-morbid diagnosis and additional therapies are being utilized.

Effects of Allopathic Treatment of Symptoms

Once medicated for 5 yrs. or more, more than 64% of the respondent adolescents continued to take one or more medications for ADHD and co-morbid diagnoses (Walker et al., 2011)
Medications come with a long list of side effects including death (Boorady, 2016)
Lifetime Label – Discrimination – Treated Differently (Bernardi et al., 2012)
Low Self-Esteem (Mueller et al., 2012)
Inability to Accept Responsibility (Mueller et al., 2012)
From 1992 to 2017, at least 37 school shootings and/or school-related acts of violence have been committed by those taking or withdrawing from psychiatric drugs resulting in 175 wounded and 82 killed (cchrint.org, 2022)

Allopathic Treatments

Psychotropic Medication
Behavioral Therapy
Parent Education (Treatment of ADHD, 2021)

A New Understanding – The Real Cause

Dietary imbalance (Stevenson, 2006 & Western Diet, 2011)
Excess sugar consumption (Jaslow, 2012 & Kim and Chang, 2011)
Nutritional deficiencies (Kamal, 2014)
Lack of physical activity (Young, 2014)
Exposure to artificial flavors & colors (Arnold, et al, 2012; Childhood Hyperactive Behavior, 2010 & Weiss, 2012)
Pesticide residue on fruits & vegetables (Bouchard et al., 2010)
Pesticide & pharmaceutical residue in local water supplies (Bouchard et al., 2010)
Genetically modified organisms in the food supply (Swanson, 2013)
Chemicals in personal care products (Randall, 2020)

These toxins - mixed with our children’s desire to have their authenticity recognized - can lead to many of the behaviors used to diagnose ADHD as well as many other disorders. So what’s a parent to do?

Ending Classroom Chaos Consult

Today’s authentic children are more than just a new generation, they come here with a complete new mindset. They have no intention of following the old ways. They are here to show us that those old systems need to change.

You’ve seen it. Maybe you thought your child was just being rebellious. There is so much more to it.

Do you have any idea how incredibly powerful your child is?

Do you recognize any of those behaviors in yourself, either when you were growing up or maybe even now?

Do you know how powerful you truly are?

Your child is an authentic spiritual being born with a specific purpose – something they ‘have’ to do in this lifetime.

As a parent, it is our job to help them identify that purpose and then find their best way to achieve it.