Scientology, IDEA and ADD

Originally posted on Themestream
On September 29, 2000 – a Friday, typically left open for congress members to go home and see their families, and the first day of the Jewish High holy days – a hearing was held in Washington D.C. Rep. Bob Shaffer (Colorado - R) has made it his goal to have the Department of Education disbanded, citing wastes and fraud, among other reasons. This hearing in particular discussed the use of money as outlined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, in relation to Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder.

Testimony against Ritalin use was provided by: Dr. Peter Breggin – founder of the Center of the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology and vocal opponent to the very existence of ADD; Patti Johnson – member of the Board of Education for the state of Colorado and vocal opponent to the existence of ADD; Dr. Fred Baughman – neurologist and vocal opponent to the existence of ADD; and Patricia Weathers – concerned parent whose son experienced growth and emotional problems while on Ritalin for ADD. For the other side, there was Dr. David Fassler, chairman of the Psychiatric Association’s Council on Children and supporter of the existence and treatment of properly-diagnosed ADD.

What disturbed me most about these hearings wasn’t the lack of opposing testimony (Dr. David Fassler supporting the existence of ADD on his own). It was the strength of conviction of Breggin, Baughman and Johnson that they were wholly and completely right, and that there was no room whatsoever for dissenting opinion.

From what I could tell, these people consider ADD to be the excuse of bad parents and lazy teachers, an opportunity for dishonest school administrators to get more money for their schools, and a chance for psychiatrists to flourish. Dr. Fassler presented documentation to Dr. Breggin demonstrating the genetic links of ADD. Dr. Breggin discounted the study, saying it had been published online and therefore lacked credibility. Dr. Fassler then presented a document from the Journal of the American Medical Association showing brain scans of ADD to Dr. Baughman. Dr. Baughman discounted the information saying the brains scanned were medicated, so of course they were different. Neither man actually read the documentation offered.
Rep. Schaffer seemed almost to enjoy the anti-ADD testimony presented. Breggin and Baughman offered their alphabet soup of credentials, Patti Johnson her standing as a member of the Colorado Board of Education. I understand the positions of Breggin, Baughman and Johnson, inasmuch as they don’t believe ADD exists, and that those who medicate are little more than drug addicts and their prescribing physicians drug pushers. That was clear to me. Disturbing, but clear.

What I didn’t understand was why they were there, why were their testimonies were needed to discredit the Department of Education.

I’m not going to pretend to be objective. ADD exists. Knowledge and valid information helps the diagnosed understand what is happening in their heads, and how they can deal with it – medications, behavior modifications, alternative therapies, or a combination. There is a genetic link between ADD children and their parents, directly or somewhere in the family tree.

It’s disturbing to learn there are those who truly believe it’s a matter of will, of desire, of challenging a child, or of discipline. If it were that simple, then these people would be right, there would be no ADD, and no need for medication, or accommodations, or understanding.

It’s not an excuse. I have negative behaviors that I know are related to ADD, but I also know that I am the one ultimately responsible for my actions and their repercussions. Excused for my ADD? No. Provided assistance when requested for it? Yes. Sometimes that includes medication. Sometimes that means more time for taking a test, or a quiet workspace, or a personal tutor.

These aren’t things that make life easier for people with ADD than for others, these are things that allow us to perform on an equal footing. It’s the difference between glasses and contact lenses – one is absolutely necessary for some to get through life, the other is mainly cosmetic (I am aware there are those who HAVE to wear contact lenses to see).

Shaffer made comments throughout the hearing. They rarely had much to do with whatever testimony had been offered. He used the time to campaign, turning the entire issue into a partisan statement. The Democrats are responsible for the current state of the Department of Education, falling test scores, under-funded schools, and over-prescribing Ritalin. I’m not sure how he came to that conclusion, but he seemed to be quite convinced.

His argument was that there are teachers and administrators who are forcing parents to not only get their children diagnosed but medicated, threatening to not allow the children back in school until they’re on Ritalin. Shaffer went on to say that the IDEA is responsible for this behavior, that without that funding, the school administrators wouldn’t feel pressured to have children diagnosed with ADD, clearly a non-existent disorder, so that they could get additional federal funding.
This is a fight, folks, and it’s just beginning. It’s already spread to Pennsylvania. These people do make some good points. Smaller class sizes and better teacher training could eliminate a lot of the behavior and learning problems we’re seeing in schools today. Allowing teachers to have more freedom in the classroom would help, rather than tying their hands and turning them into little more than babysitters, keeping the tykes out of the house for a while. Problems could indeed be reduced, and perhaps prescriptions for children could be reduced. Scores could go up, absenteeism could go down, and children will have the type of education they deserve.

It still wouldn’t eliminate ADD.
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Learn More About It: The Anti-ADD side
Breggin Testimony – Testimony submitted by Dr. Peter Breggin
Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) – Scientology organization, anti-psychiatry
Educational “Disorders” Fraud – by Dr. Fred Baughman. On the CCHR website
Colorado School Board’s Ritalin Resolution – From Phyllis Shlafly’s Education Reporter on the Eagle Forum. Inspiration for the ADD/ADHD People’s Resolution
Rep. Bob Shaffer’s stance on Education – Rep. Shaffer’s ideas of how to fix the Education problems in America