Unfortunately, there are going to be so many inductees! The trite nonsense about ADHD being a normal variant of childhood (and adulthood?) is just too easy for lazy media meat-heads.

Maybe we can embarrass a few of them into cleaning it up and doing their jobs.

Thanks so much for sharing your story, Dr. McNeil, and being a fierce advocate for these kids.

I’m honored to be visited by other esteemed bloggers. Kerch is an ADHD-savvy Life Coach. Dr. Boyd writes a column on psychology and psychotherapy. Of course Jeff is the brain behind Jeff’s ADD Mind. Terry doesn’t have a blog yet (that I know of), but I will try to channel his whip-smart observations and humor. And welcome Adrian, who is active in the Twitter world.

It’s great to have allies on the Internet. If you’ve been reading the comic strip Pearls Before Swine lately, I’ve been looking for the equivalent of an Internet Happy Box (escape from the meanies). Found it here!

No, what really got to me was this. Coupled with the gratuitous crack about COPD (that could have been my father when I took him to the last baseball game he ever saw, and he was too oxygen deprived to even carry the damned tank and too embarrassed to wheel it around), I reacted to the singular lack of compassion coming from Bill Maher and from the rest of them as well.

It is that failure of empathy I found so painful — more painful than a stray comment about how people are over medicated — because if a person can’t imagine himself into a coal miner’s boots he surely can’t imagine himself into my Brain. I have no need of Maher’s understanding, but there are millions who need someone’s understanding (or, at the very least, their credulity) and if a bright educated guy who reads is tossing off that kind of misinformation and scorn, what will become of them?

Not everyone has easy access to the public square and I think those who find themselves there have an obligation to treat the privilege – and their listeners – with respect.

Once again you’re the “leader of the pack,” opening new paths and opening more minds in the process. Bravo!

Now…some possible inductees to the Hall of Shame: Dr. Breggin; Dr. Baughman; Dr. Phil and his advisor Dr. Lawlis (notice how many have “Dr.” before their name).

I think it would be helpful for there to be more admission and discussion that many kids from certain demographics are indeed over-diagnosed and over-prescribed, and that medicating should always be done by skilled, specialized providers, and never as the first course of action.

That said, it is so painful to hear the ignorant blather coming from Huffington and Maher on this subject. So much misery has come from the idea that a kick in the ass will solve problems with kids. I didn’t expect this f from either of these people, despite Mahers diet beliefs. The other two guys–well, what can you expect?

Very disheartening. Thanks again for covering it.

When they are all done ranting and raving I ask them, “What are the chances of a high school student with who has a 1.6 GPA, and barely makes it out of high school getting a BA? They give me a funny look and tell me “Maybe 10%.” I then ask, “Ok, what are the chances of a high school who has a 1.6 GPA, barely makes it out of high school, and can’t write a paragraph getting a MA? They tell me “Maybe 2%. I then tell them I have one last question, “What are the chances of a high school who has a 1.6 GPA, barely makes it out of high school, and can’t write a paragraph has severe ADHD and profound learning disabilities getting a PhD? They just laugh and tell me, “Not a chance, no how no way.” Then they laugh. I look at them dead in the eye and tell them that the hypothethical student I just described to them was me and that I was written off by all my teachers too and I will never turn my back on any of my students because if I can achieve what I have starting at the age of 32 and finishing my PhD at 49, so can my students. It leaves them with their mouths open.

If I can leave someone questioning their beliefs then I have done my job. If anyone is curious about what I do everyday here is a short video. I teach 4 period of social studies and 2 periods of Digital Media Design. The video is of Digital Media Design.

http://www.classroomofthefuture.org/2009achieve.asp

In fact, I’ve encountered enough ADHD-bashing by other Pulitzer winners, I thought it was taught in a j-school class that I’d somehow missed.

Folks, Katherine is also the author of The Mommy Brain: How Motherhood Makes Us Smarter. Click on her name to visit her website, or click here: http://www.themommybrain.com/

John writes a great blog about bi-polar disorder, among other subjects — Knowledge is Necessity.

And you know, I did “go positive” — I’m positive these people belong in the Hall of Shame!