WHITE DEVIL said:
I had/have major problems with ADD and still do. I used to get my ass beat for fuckin up in school, and still I would fuck up. I graduated with a C average after 5 years of high school.
When I was younger, (up to 8th grade), I used to test off the charts. Over time my mental abilities and (I sincerely believe this) capacity waned as I was too caught up in my own little bullshit to learn anything. I could have said the exact same thing CC said in her post.
Even to this day, when I have a task to do that does not somehow command my immediate attention I will summarily engage in useless, ridiculous diversions. Anything and everything becomes more interesting and important to me than whatever I need to get accomplished. I now have a job that supports me and my habits (I can procrastinate or get away with little or no research as long as I can do my bullshit pitch to clients). My internal debate over whether or not to use Ritalin or Dexedrine rages almost daily. My view is- if it will definitively improve the quality of your life, it is worth it.
All the naturopaths and soybean worshippers who believe it is made up by the corporations in a conspiracy to keep the people enslaved can smoke another joint and bum for change at the bus stop. This shit has always affected me and affects me on a daily basis. I don't doubt at all that my heavy TV watching / Video game playing early on had some shit to do with it.
I don't think this has anything to do with ADD. I think this is a sprinkling of generalized liberal epistemological statements on TV's influence.
I'm sure this plays a role, but I had a lot of parental involvement in my shit and I still turned out the way I did.
As I stated, it can be helpful if diagnosed correctly and used with great discretion. Especially when younger and younger CHILDREN are prescribed meds w/ no concept of how it will affect them. An adolescent in 8th grade is physcially and mentally more mature and assumably has a greater comprehension of the cause & effect of the medication. A 9 yr old who stares out the window during math, fidgets during grammar, but enjoy's recess and painting is not abnormal, its childhood.
However, there are definately people/kids who do benefit. It's just easy to misdiagnose. I know of cases where people have benefitted greatly from Ritalin/Dex/Aderol, as well as cases of great abuse.
I have always had struggles with staying focused and an extended attention span (in fact I still find myself falling asleep in lectures, training, and meetings(business and community). How much is credited to too much fraggle rock and how much of the problem is innate is beyond me.
I myself was able to get diagnosed when I was 19 in College b/c the only classes I would ever get C's in college were multiple choice testing. My brain just doesn't process info. that way. However, Ritalin proved extremely useful during my pursuit of an English minor (in terms of sitting down 'n readin' for 3-4 hours in the library and only gettin' up to piss). However, after one year of messin' with it as a study aid, I didn't like the way it made me feel, what I did like was flippin' 'em to the rich kids for 5 bucks a pop during midterms and finals...
Even though I don't have any immediate empirical data on hand, I believe there is a correlation to TV consumption (with all of the other forms of media pop-culture consumerism/materialism needs/base/want) and ADD/Depression.
But back to the thread topic, what is the biggest learning disabilty? Who knows?
I do know the current curriculum ain't gonna cut it...