ADHD

Don't you hate it when a juicy blog post dies on you? Here's one that's done just that. This is what I wrote earlier.

I thought I'd open a little can of worms here. I'm going to report a conversation I had with 10-yo the other day, and not reflect on it at all, but see what you all think. I suppose that's a bit disingenuous, since by posting the conversation at all, I am implying that I think there's an issue here. But I'm not sure what my opinion is, and it would be a very uninformed opinion in any case (though that doesn't usually stop me) so I thought I'd just ask and see what you all think.

Him: Mum, do I have ADHD?

Me: No, you don't. Why do you ask?

Him: Lots of fourth graders do.

Me: They do? How many kids in your class have ADHD?

Him: Oh, six, I think. [out of a class of 17]

Me: So do they take medication, or do they have special routines, or what?

Him: Some take medication, but I don't really know much about it. I just wondered if I had it too.

What do you make of that conversation?

That would have made for a good discussion, wouldn't it? Trouble is, I casually threw a question over my shoulder, just as I was finishing up.

"10-yo, how many kids in your class did you say had ADHD?"

Must have been some journalistic instinct that made me want to check my facts.

"I dunno."

"You said 6, the other day."

"I think it's just one. And one or two in the other class."

"You said 6, I think."

"That was an exaggeration. Why do you want to know?"

Bother. Or as we say in blogging circles, aaaaargh...

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