A simple solution to boys’ hyperactivity: Give them a break.
October 5, 2010 in Special Needs News by Admin Dawn
Lexington child psychologist Anthony Rao is author of “The Way of Boys: Promoting the Social and Emotional Development of Young Boys.’’
Q. You write that young boys are overdiagnosed much of the time and labeled with ADHD, bipolar disorder, and learning disabilities. That our problem isn’t always boys, it’s our expectations of them. Elaborate?
A. Because when boys enter into preschool or any learning situation, the expectations to succeed or perform don’t really match where they’re at. They don’t make eye contact very well. They don’t listen as well. Their hearing is not as acute as it is for girls, so they don’t develop language skills as quickly. And they have high motor activity. You have boys being asked to sit longer or be indoors, and teachers who are at the front lines saying your child is having a problem fitting in. That translates quickly into a diagnosis and a medication.
Read more here: Anthony Rao has a simple solution to boys’ hyperactivity: Give them a break. – The Boston Globe.
