It's amazing what medication can do for an emotionally disturbed child...
Prior to today, I never advocated medicating children to deal with their diagnosed disibilities. I've never been on the opposition team either, but I felt that there may be alternatives, such as patience or more engaging teachers and lessons.
I agree that other alternatives should be tried for a while to determine whether that indeed is all the child needs or if more inducive measures should be taken. After today, I'm not really sure if other alternatives is always an option.
I have a student who is severly emotionally desturbed and this has greatly affected his ability to learn. Afterall, if you have a child who bangs his head into desks, walls, and the board when he's frustrated, it would be hard to teach him. If you have a child who won't try unless you tell him what the answers are and when you try to allow him to be independent he flips a desk, it would be hard to teach him.
If you can't keep him calm you can't teach him.
If you can't teach him, how can he learn?
Medicate him.
I promise, it was a brand new kid when he returned from the nurse. He was loveable, he was respectful, he was still very insecure to do something unfamiliar, but he was stable. It was refreshing to get through to him.
But at what cost?
4 comments:
Wow so the medication really calmed him down? I didn't use to believe all those medications could work, use to think it had to do with self will to or one's ability 2 control one self.
Me too!
I really can't believe what a difference it made Eche!
This boy went from BANGING HIS HEAD INTO THE DESK, from PUSHING THE DESKS INTO OTHER STUDENTS, from SCREAMING LIKE A MAD MAN
To, sitting still, doing his work, smiling, participating, and give me hugs!
Woah...
He might need to really see someone like talk to a professional.
have you talked to his parents?
There is something else going on with this young man.
Medication is good while in the process of getting through whatever he's going through so that he can be part of the normal learning environment. However, medication only covers up the problem. What about when he gets to highschool? Poor thing.
Hey Veronica!
You are absolutely right, he does need outside help and he does get it. He meets with a psychiatrist, a councelor, and an adaptive physical education therapist.
There is something really going on with him and the medication does not solve that issue because he still refuses to follow directions even when medicated. The only difference (major difference) is that he doesn't have violent tantrums while on the meds.
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