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5 Responses

1. Lisa A

   2008 Jul 01 1

   When a child is overstimulated, that is temporary until they calm down or do an activity that changes that. So unless a child is playing video games or watching TV 24/7, I'm not sure how it can cause learning disabilities. Learning disabilities are just that, not a product of tv or video games. Do I think video games and TV overstimulate? You bet, even the best of kiddos. And are some kids born hyper (not all hyper kids misbehave. that's a poor choice of words). I know that for a fact. Sometimes nutrition helps, sometimes not. Lack of discipline can hurt as well, but it's not the "contributing factor" as you are implying.
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2. native c

   2008 Jul 01 2

   Absolutely!
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3. vichick

   2008 Jul 01 3

   I agree with Lisa. Video games over stimulate everyone, even so called 'normal' children. These things do not however contribute to learning disabilities. The LD or ADHD is independent of the over stimulation. The fact is no one knows for sure what causes these problems, but we d do have some ideas on what doesn't cause them. It may not have been diagnosed 80 years ago before TV and video games, but I have a great aunt in her eighties who was sure she was suffering from ADHD, and had been her whole life. She was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 81. She doesn't take medication for it, it's just peace of mind. But she had suffered her whole life. She was born in 1917. I highly doubt she was playing to many video games in the 1920's. Often times kids with learning disabilities and/or ADHD play more video games than other children. This is because it is something that they are good at. Something they don't have to work so hard at. At the rewards for completing a level are pretty much instantaneous. Kids with LD and or ADHD spend so much time and putting so much effort into everything else that they do, and often these kids don't have the proper support, therefor the product of their hard work, determination and dedication is a mediocre grade. But with a video game they grasp it quickly, beat the level quickly, win quickly, and have positive results quickly.
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4. Babies on board

   2008 Jul 01 4

   Well, as a psychologist, I'm not really the general public, but you are asking the basic old nature versus nurture question. I can say I've seen a lot of kids who have academic and behavioral trouble due on a chaotic, toxic environment, not any weakness within the child. I get so sick of pediatricians who will refer kids for evaluations, but never ever talk to the parents about parenting classes and the like. The kids are tearing up the waiting room and mom sits there and twiddles her thumbs. You can generally tell right off when it's a systemic issue in the home. This year, I had a 5 year old call his grandmother a stupid pig in front of a room full of school staff. And she didn't bat an eye! WTF- he's 5!!! And when I asked her if that was acceptable, she says, oh yes, he does that all the time. I told him that wasn't ok and made him apologize. If things continue as they are, he'll be labeled with something in no time. And it's sad because the child is smart and can be taught proper behavior. I try, but it's got to come from home first! All we can do is teach him it's not ok in school, but that's not going to keep him out of jail one day.

   On the other hand, there are some children who really do have brain-based differences. There are, and for kids who are diagnosed appropriately, MRI's show there is a cognitive difference. I've seen parents try to treat all kinds of mental health issues by eliminating one dye or another, or giving a certain type of diet. I believe you have to have an extremely sensitive system for that sort of thing to work, and you'd probably have problems other than just behavioral. Some people really do have issues that must be dealt with medically in order to work to their potential.

   You point out exactly why full, comprehensive evals are important. I've had teachers and parents complain to me that they feel like the one's being tested, when it should just be focused on the kid. Well, that's too bad, because I know environment is a factor that should never be overlooked when deciding whether or not a child is disabled.
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5. Gypsy

   2008 Jul 03 5

   I think sometimes parents would like to explain bad behavior on ADD when it is the child searching for boundaries and acting out. I also think the teachers would like to label all kids who don't fit in with this diagnoses and have them medicated for their own management convenience.
   There is a whole myriad of reasons why children act out or are overly stimulated and I think ADD and ADHD are just easy labels to pin on a child without having them properly diagnosed.
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