Cultural Complexities Affecting Childhood Development

[Mikal]

On July 13, 08 the San Francisco Chronicle carried a news story by Dr Lawrence Diller, Practitioner of Behavioral-Developmental Pediatrics in Walnut Creek CA. Dr Diller is well known as a reputable Practitioner in the Clinical Faculty of UCSF.

The story quoted:
"Joseph Biderman of Harvard may be the United States most influential doctor when it comes to determining whether children are normal or mentally ill. There has been an investigation through which a revelation came forward that Biederman did not declare $1.6 million in drug company consulting fees which is scary, frightening and tragic...."

Dr Diller expressed concern about collusion between drug companies and pediatric doctors where he fears that there is ongoing evidence that profits have become the driving force behind flawed research programs in the health field where it has become a crisis state of biologically brain-based solutions versus nondrug, parent and educational approaches to cultural affects on normal childhood development.

Diller expressed that medical credibility and Doctor patient trust is at stake because flawed research is now surfacing to reveal that a dangerously corrupt system may be upholding the psychiatric field which has been losing its Federal research dollars over the past 25 years.

His prime worry concerns the psychiatric drugging of young developing brains and what the long-term affects may be when drug testing has been virtually non-existent and there are no studies to reveal drug affects on young, fragile brains.

All of the above crisis is a present day societal issue and reality in our societies. Back in the 1960s when Thomas Szasz stepped to the fringes of his psychiatric field and announced that there would be the creation of the myth of mental illness and a push to label all human troubles as disorders which could be neurolized and drugged, this was considered to be a conspiracy and Szasz was held to typical mockery and harsh judgement by professionals. It seems the good Doctor now in his 80s and still fighting this battle deserves a well deserved apology from many.

It seems another pending nightmare among us. I would welcome any comments, thoughts and suggestions as to how a society builds a bridge back to sanity for young growing children and their safety and right to grow up normally in drug-free situations....

[austintorn@aol.com]

Learning is a dangerous thing (when bad), for learning rewires the brain; so, teach good to children.

[Mikal]

This is a good thought Austie but how do we bridge the complication that a child becomes who they are from every person, every pattern of social relationship, every situation experienced and every social institution they pass through? How do we infiltrate into our society "teach the children goodness," love and respect the children, let them grow up normally. Do we need a cultural revamp?


Mikal

[austintorn@aol.com]

Teach 'Good for the Sake of Good' in schools—with the same intensity and homework as every other subject, and perhaps even more so, for life needs to be lived well everywhere and at all times. Stuff like math is only sometimes.

Assignments would trace the good/bad causes and effects of common blunders and pain that's caused, or happiness, friendships won and lost, and all kinds of stuff.

Soap operas could be shown and laughed at. Thence anyone still trying to do 'evil' through now more obvious common ploys would stand out much more and be known and identified as much as 1+1 not equal 2.

[Mikal]

Austie...these are all good suggestions I will be passing off to those involved with me in addressing changes needed in the school system, including some interested teachers so thank you.

The primary core problem in the school system is the infiltration of the myth of mental illness which has saturated Univerties, Colleges and Teacher's College. From there it has been infiltrated into the lower levels of the educational system. School's mandate now is not learning it is about "behavior and behavior modification."

This is the typical scenario for a child entering Kindergarde:

Observe the child's behavior.
Put forward the suggestion the child is hyperactive.
Refer to parents area health clinics set up for diagnosis of mental illness.
Refusal to comply brings dismissal of child from the system. This traps parents.
Report is produced by assisting child psychologists and psychiatrists.
Recommendation for Ritalen and other Psychotropic drugs.
With the drugging of child.. system receives $500. per child drugged.
Loop is complete.

This is basically the push to take chemical control over children's minds which means billions of dollars for drug companies. Diagnosis of pediatric bipolar disorder increased 4000 % from 1994 to 2003. Sales of drug use for children doubled between 2003 to 2006. (Statistical Data from Study Group set up by David Gongdon from Mencap Org.)

Addressing this may involve the forces to effect constructive change in the mindset of society.


Mikal

[G_burnett]

Austie...these are all good suggestions I will be passing off to those involved with me in addressing changes needed in the school system, including some interested teachers so thank you.

The primary core problem in the school system is the infiltration of the myth of mental illness which has saturated Universities, Colleges and Teacher's College. From there it has been infiltrated into the lower levels of the educational system. School's mandate now is not learning it is about "behavior and behavior modification."

This is the typical scenario for a child entering Kindergarten:

Observe the child's behavior.
Put forward the suggestion the child is hyperactive.
Refer to parents area health clinics set up for diagnosis of mental illness.
Refusal to comply brings dismissal of child from the system. This traps parents.
Report is produced by assisting child psychologists and psychiatrists.
Recommendation for Ritalin and other Psychotropic drugs.
With the drugging of child.. system receives $500. per child drugged.
Loop is complete.

This is basically the push to take chemical control over children's minds which means billions of dollars for drug companies. Diagnosis of pediatric bipolar disorder increased 4000 % from 1994 to 2003. Sales of drug use for children doubled between 2003 to 2006. (Statistical Data from Study Group set up by David Gongdon from Mencap Org.)

Addressing this may involve the forces to effect constructive change in the mindset of society.


Mikal

Up here Mikal in BC I think i mentioned it that the BC Teachers Federation leader told me that they like to designate a child, despite the label, of having special needs ... retarded child description to peers and peers parents when a child hyper or bored is in need of one to one instruction to make it more interesting for the child. This designation then frees up money for aids to work with the kids because of large classroom size and ESL students causing a lowering of teaching in our school system now more designed to put out bed pan changers then intellect. they know that it is a bad label but need the money to teach these children showing gifted intelligence .. Alberta on the other hand does it different and gives teachers aids to the less .... studious ... look up gifted intelligence Alberta search param's an see the five categories .. its real interesting stuff. Peace G

[Mikal]

Hi Graham....thanks for your comments, thoughts and imput especially information relevant to education in other provinces. Will definitely look up the link you suggested.


Going back to education back in the 60's...its always quite revealing that at that point there was no such happenstance as mixing special needs into the normal flow of education. There is always the ponder there that, that was a move to over-crowd the teaching environment afterall its only common sense that special need students in the category of retardation, mental handicap etc. rather complicate the old existing mandate of the educational system. Nice ploy to say it came about under the banner of equality and fairness ideas...that has shown itself through research programs to simply not be true. Also back in the 60s LABELLING unheard of also accusations about hyperactivity unheard of. SPECIAL NEEDS...GIFTED INTELLIGENCE...new words...another ponder about BS baffling brains...smiles...

Too bad school is now about needing money....drugging kids, collusion with drug companies working well for strapped system and greedy drug companies...KIDS CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE...VERY VULNERABLE...

Mikal

[G_burnett]

Hi Graham....thanks for your comments, thoughts and impute especially information relevant to education in other provinces. Will definitely look up the link you suggested.


Going back to education back in the 60's...its always quite revealing that at that point there was no such happenstance as mixing special needs into the normal flow of education. There is always the ponder there that, that was a move to over-crowd the teaching environment after-all its only common sense that special need students in the category of retardation, mental handicap etc. rather complicate the old existing mandate of the educational system. Nice ploy to say it came about under the banner of equality and fairness ideas...that has shown itself through research programs to simply not be true. Also back in the 60s LABELING unheard of also accusations about hyperactivity unheard of. SPECIAL NEEDS...GIFTED INTELLIGENCE...new words...another ponder about BS baffling brains...smiles...

Too bad school is now about needing money....drugging kids, collusion with drug companies working well for strapped system and greedy drug companies...KIDS CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE...VERY VULNERABLE...

Mikal

I am not in favor of the heroin type drugs given with out some sort of enlightenment form of education for the parents to develop parenting skills to deal with the add adhd determination because it is being used in a derogatory way of opinion to norm and bean counters ... they should be shot with beans a more rational opinion an leave the kids alone and spend what is needed on smaller class size and specialty training rooms ... we do vote our educational system in as well as our government and there is nothing better to fix things Mikal then the likes of us 60S folk knowing the power of the pen ... half price days here for copies are Fridays 3 cents each! A thousand words, a thousand copies = 500 conversations and one news story = five news stories = statement of stupidity excuse from the government lost in time before the election ... they hope ... heh heh all for a few pennies

[Mikal]

Graham...I am working in conjunction with many researchers attempting to affect and change the mindset of society also aiming for constructive changes in the educational system.
I have a parent group who come right here to my home where they are involved in educating themselves about hidden truths, our new get-well society, problem solving around their educational problems surfacing with their children.

Word of mouth...excellent way for good information to travel....

smiles...Mikal

[G_burnett]

Graham...I am working in conjunction with many researchers attempting to affect and change the mindset of society also aiming for constructive changes in the educational system.
I have a parent group who come right here to my home where they are involved in educating themselves about hidden truths, our new get-well society, problem solving around their educational problems surfacing with their children.

Word of mouth...excellent way for good information to travel....

smiles...Mikal

hmmm interesting, ten in the group makes one thousand times ten or end result of 25,000 votes .... issue of children a great platform of discussion and action ... put your publication skills to work there Mikal and let me know if you need some help ... and don't ask just demand the rights be acted on accordingly. G Peace~ smiles