I read an article about a mother who threatened a principal because her child wasnt receiving help and was having behavior problems. This hurts my heart. Yes, this mother was way out of line, but in a way I can understand from her perspective. Her child has special needs which the school, school system, and state apparently don't acknowledge. So he is labeled as a "behavior problem". From her actions, it does seem that perhaps she contributes to the overall problem, but deep down the frustration has been felt by all parents of children with Special Needs. I can tell you, if one more person in the hospital said to me that JC shouldn't be crying because the IV blood draw wasn't painful, I can't say that I wouldn't have gone a little batty. What strikes me the most is one of the last paragraphs in the article:
"There are so many diagnoses these days that every time they revise the DSM it seems there are a plethora of new mental illnesses to ascribe our everyday woes; what used to be an energetic kid is now ADHD, somebody who was very meticulous is now OCD, and violent kids are now SPD."
This "journalist" obviously did little or no research on the subject matter of Sensory Processing Disorder. To attribute violence to a broad diagnosis is not only factless, but dangerous and to indicate that SPD (ADHD or OCD) is a label that is overused for our "everyday woes" is simply ignorant.
It is media like this that leads to misconceptions and assumptions that do so much harm to our children. This is a perfect example of why I started this blog!
This is so true. Thank you for sharing. It is a struggle to get help for your child and being met with this type of criticism might delay people in seeking the help they need.
ReplyDeleteI was so angry when I read that article too! I do not condone her actions, her choice likely has ended up hurting her son instead of helping him. But instead of seeing her outburst, and those of her son, as a cry for help, The writer of that article instead is almost outright mocking their plight! That makes me so angry! No one is willing to listen when people are literally screaming for help, and then everyone stands around dumbfounded when something bad happens, like a school shooting, and then decide that nows a good time to blame a disorder instead of the person and their poor choices (some of which probably could have been avoided had a better support system been available to them)! What a shame that the voices heard the loudest are usually the least informed, and spew nothing but contempt for those actually trying to make a real difference. Even more shameful that individuals in the prison systems often get better care/therapy/education than our children who are desperately trying to grow up to avoid prison! How utterly disappointing!
ReplyDeleteVery well said Judy!!! Thank you!
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