Reaction to the "Cutting Edge" Programme
The Cape Times on July 22, 2003
This article was originally published on
page 3 of
The Cape Times on July 22, 2003
Need for Ritalin and parental response to behaviour
London - Hundreds of thousands of children prescribed the
anti-hyperactivity drug Ritalin may simply be victims of lax
parenting, new evidence suggests.
The work of a British expert has cast doubt on the existence of
such conditions as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and will fuel
controversy over the spiralling use of Ritalin.
Behavioural expert Warwick Dyer claims parents need to take the
initiative with their children's "disorders" and move away from
the chemical cosh of prescription drugs.
In a remarkable breakthrough he has developed a programme that
focuses on the way parents behave towards their children - and
has claimed a 100 percent success rate in five years.
'Parenting is not a democracy'
Incredibly, he does not see the child involved and has only one
face-to-face consultation with the parents. The rest of his work
is limited to a daily telephone briefing with the parents on how
to treat their child.
Dyer's theory is based on simple ideas such as a rigid system of
sanctions for bad behaviour and rewards for good behaviour, with
an insistence on politeness towards parents - and a demand that
mothers and fathers control their tempers as well.
"I'm open-minded about whether ADD exists, but what is certainly
clear is that a lot of symptoms ascribed to such disorders are
easily confused with basic behavioural problems that don't need
to be treated with a drug," Dyer said.
"Parenting is not a democracy. You need to give your child what
they want - love and attention - but on your terms, not
theirs."
One in 10 children is diagnosed with ADD or the related Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
'The problem is that a lot of parents simply are being given
inadequate or incorrect advice'
Ritalin is an amphetamine with a potency similar to cocaine.
Prescription in Britain has soared one hundredfold in 10
years.
In 1990, only 3 000 children were on the drug. Today, 345 000 are
taking it, costing the National Health Service more than
£3-million (about R36-million) a year. The drug is being
given to children as young as 18 months.
Now a growing lobby of parents, doctors and other experts is
questioning whether ADD or ADHD exist.
Dyer was a primary school teacher in the East End of London
before he set up the Behaviour Change Consultancy. He sees around
30 families a year and claims his techniques work with everyone,
from the youngest children to teenagers.
"In the past 40 years, parents have begun talking to their
children more, but they have forgotten how to use consequences
effectively. Children are instinctively artful and will try to
put themselves in control. I put the parents back in
control."
This article was originally published on page 3 of The Cape Times
on July 22, 2003
Behaviour Change
Consultancy 24 Rochdale, Harold Road, London, SE19 3TF
|
|
