Re: Oddballs/ Physical Fitness
Ian N. Ford FRSH (ian@FORD.DIRCON.CO.UK)
Sun, 28 Feb 1999 21:12:00 -0000
Cathie,
> I'd just as soon not have my son called an oddball (by an adult?) because
>he has a neurological problem!
Please stop and re-read my post. It was not about your son, who I don't
know. What it was about was other youth, not adults, identifying the
youngsters who are different from the rest. I speak from personal
experience, as you know if you have read my previous postings on the subject
of my own experiences growing up with AD/HD,SLD and dyspraxia ( as well as
asthma and being virtually blind in one eye) and being bullied as a result.
The original post, if you recall, was about a parent witholding important
medical information and a child having some sort of ? absence seizure
during a shooting class, and when asked the doctor said he had been asked to
without it because the parent did not want the child made fun of. My point
was that apart from the very obvious safety considerations, it was
counter-productive. If Leaders are aware of
youth with problems they can take appropriate action, including checking
that teasing does not take place.
Our Scouts do know the kids who act differently, who are in Special Ed. or
whatever ... if parents treat neurological / mental health problems as
something shameful to be hidden and not spoken about that only reinforces
the stigmatization and means that all the other youth get to hear is the
school-yard disinformation.
Last year I was teaching first aid at our district merit badge lock-in, and
during the session on the unconscious casualty I referred to the whole range
of medical conditions that can lead to unconsciousness - diabetes, epilepsy
etc. and referred to the need to look for medicalert bracelets, cards,
medication etc.. At that point one kid shouted out " Like your Ritalin,
John * " ... aimed at another Scout. I said that AD/HD was not a cause of
unconsciousness, but I would address the subject at the end of the class.
At the end of the class I gave them a straight five minute run down on the
theories of AD/HD, and concluded that if they wanted to know more I could
tell them from personal experience, as I have AD/HD myself.
John,incidentally, had been hanging upside from his chair throughout most
of the class, but he was clearly listening to what was going on and
answering questions put to him, so I left him to it. Hey, he had given up
his weekend to come on a Scout course ... it was not like he was in school.)
I actually had some sensible questions, and I hope that John's fellow
Scouts were more aware.
Incidentally, my own experience (other than 45 years living with AD/HD) is
that my first degree was in education and applied psychology, I then spent
time in the British National Health Service as a senior manager, where my
last job was advocating for improved child and adolescent mental health
services. I am currently studying for a postgraduate social work diploma
and an advanced diploma in Special Needs Education with a view to working as
a special social worker with adolescents with behavioural problems. My
particular area of interest is AD/HD and I wrote a critique of UK services
for children and adolescents with AD/HD as part of a MA in social work.
In what counts as my spare time I am a school governor with responsibility
for special needs, Special Needs Adviser for Greenwich District, UK Scouting
and a trainer for Boy Scouts of America Mayflower District.
I did think twice before using that word, but I assumed that readers of the
list would see that it was used in a particular context, and was indicative
of the descriptions which young people attribute to their peers, not one
that I would use personally. Clearly it was not my intention to offend
anyone, and if you were offended then I apologise unreservedly.
Ian N. Ford
