Boys twice as likely to be diagnosed with special needs

Submitted by Broadsword on Fri, 2012-07-13 21:50

Article here. Excerpt:

Young boys are almost twice as likely to be diagnosed with learning impairments, behaviour problems or communication difficulties as girls, it emerged. The disclosure – in data published by the Department for Education – will reignite concerns that schools are wrongly branding pupils with special needs as a cover for indiscipline or poor exam results.
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Earlier this year, Jean Gross, a former Government adviser on speech, language and communication needs, insisted that problems were often “used as an explanation for failure” at school, particularly among boys.

She said: “One third of nine and 10-year-old boys have special educational needs. It’s at that age that schools start to think they are not going to get a [pass] on their SATs, so they get labelled as having special needs.

“This is not done out of malice – schools are just trying to explain themselves. It is a real incentive to do this when schools don’t hit their floor target.”'

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Comments

This is an extension of the "failure to thrive" syndrome: "It's not the doctor's fault the child isn't doing well, its the child's fault."

The public school system has never understood how to teach boys. Now when that failure begins to show, instead of considering their methods might be the problem, they blame it on the boy. Worse yet, they label him as "special," troublesome, and a problem child.

This is not a self-image that a man should have to carry with him for the rest of his life. It is a mental scarring, not unlike the physical scar most boys have around their d*cks, a daily reminder that they are not good enough.

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Submitted by DanBollinger on Sat, 2012-07-14 11:30

schools in fact DO know how to educate boys the problem is that they changed the schooling system uin the 90`s to suit a girls learning style,, dont think for a second that for a hundred years they educated boys and dont know how,, but the problem is that its worse than you think because they know how,,, but deny boys the education style that they need to succeed in favor of helping girls...

theres verry little competition in schools anymore yet this is what boys need for motivation
classes are designed around how a student feels about a subject instead of facts and figures
the schools are heavily populated by teachers that went thru feminist indoc at university (this cant be good for a young boy to have as a role model)

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Submitted by Rog on Sat, 2012-07-14 17:47

I'm always looking for new information about "learning challenges" faced by many boys such as ADD, ADHD, autism and the related behavior problems, etc. Some reports indicate they are genetic and other reports indicate they are environmental. Some people believe they are real and others believe they are mis-diagnosed and are just "boys being boys".

I don't want children to be mis-diagnosed and forced into medicating, but I also don't want a serious problem to get over-looked.

My brother and I are adopted. We began our lives in a unhealthy environment and then as toddlers adopted into a good home. We were both diagnosed as ADD when we were younger. My brother had other diagnosis as well and continued behavioral problems. When my brother was a child my mom went all out for my brother and after a few failed attempts of medication used alternative methods (lots of behavior counseling).

However, now as an adult, my brother takes ADD meds and he swears they are doing wonders for him. I also know young children who truly appear to have ADD or autism and the symptoms are apparent before they enter kindergarten.

My two boys might have ADD as both me and their father have been diagnosed with it at a young age. However, I choose to keep them out of school, un-medicated and I incorporate physical activity into their homeschooling. We get through life just fine so I don't see any reason to have them evaluated for ADD. If they ever have problems as adults, I figure they can get themselves diagnosed and choose medication if they wish. It should be their decision when they are old enough to make their own health care choices.

I also wonder if mother's health during pregnancy, soon after birth or environmental factors might have something to do with the rise in boys' ADD and autism diagnosis. Male fetuses and male newborns are more fragile, so it would be logical to assume that environmental factors would effect them more. I also wonder if lack of breastfeeding has something to do with it and all the reliance on daycares (too much stimuli in daycares compared to home environment).

Whatever is causing it, or if it is being used as a false diagnosis to shame boys natural behavior, I want to get down to the bottom of it so it can be dealt with correctly.

TL/DR: not sure if ADD/Autism is real or fake or nature vs nurtur is the cause, but I want it correctly dealt with.

PS - I also agree with the comments reagrding the school system. It is not well suited for boys.

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Submitted by Kris on Sat, 2012-07-14 21:54