Thomas Hook is now
seven years old, and in the second grade. His parents decided not to go with
the 504 services, so he has been receiving special education and has an
Individualized Educational Plan. This seems to be going well for Thomas. His
teachers and parents have decided to keep him in the least restrictive
environment, which in his case would be in the classroom, but taken out of the
classroom to take tests in order for him to be less distracted. Thomas has
plenty of goals that his teachers and parents have agreed on for his IEP. One
of his goals is that he will be able to read a short, two-minute story on his
own with at least fifty words correct.
Another one of his English goals is comprehension based. Thomas will be
given a story to read and will be asked ten questions and be able to get at
least nine of them correct.
Since Thomas was
diagnosed with ADHD, his parents felt that it would be best to enroll him in
behavioral therapy, though they wanted to hold off on medication to see if his
ADHD symptoms will lessen with solely therapy. They have done research and have
seen that medication and behavioral therapy together seem to be the most
successful, but they do not want to put Thomas on a daily medication unless it
is absolutely necessary. They have enrolled Thomas with a therapist by the name
of Dr. David Fazzari who specializes in adolescents with ADHD.
The Hooks have
also decided to enroll Thomas in piano lessons. He seems to love playing around
on an old keyboard that they own, and Thomas’s music teacher has informed his
parents that Thomas not only enjoys the piano during music lessons, but he seems
to have a natural talent for it. Despite Thomas having ADHD, he seems to be
doing really well in his piano class. His teacher, Miss Gray, says that he is a
natural and that he is already much more advanced than the rest of the children
in this beginner class.
Thomas is now
going on ten years old. His parents have been struggling within their marriage
due to lack of attention to one another. Taylor is very worried about Thomas
all of the time, so she spends a lot of time trying to better him, and to find
ways to better help him with his condition. She doesn’t pay Marcus as much
attention as she used to. Marcus has been feeling very distant from Taylor for
some time now, but wants what is best for his son. He feels that some serious
adjustments need to happen in order for their marriage to work out. He knows
firsthand how hard it is on parents with a child with ADHD since he himself had
ADHD and his parents later divorced.
Thomas’s piano
skills have become extraordinary. He is playing at a level better than most
adults would. Music is a way for Thomas to convey what he feels. He creates his
own pieces and has had plenty of recitals all of which he plays from memory.
When Thomas is playing the piano, it’s like nothing else in the world is going
on. You can tell his mood through what types of songs he plays and you also
would never know that he has been diagnosed with ADHD. A musical prodigy’s
parents have a huge effect on his success (Solomon 2012). They were the ones
who introduced him to the instrument as well as have supported his interest and
have gone to all of his recitals.
Thomas has been
doing decent in his studies, but not amazing. At a parent teacher conference,
it had been noted that Thomas is disruptive in class, getting up when he isn’t
supposed to as well as doing things like making paper airplanes in class. He
frequently stares out the window and just all around doesn’t seem like he’s
always paying attention. His behavior sometimes distracts the other children
from learning. His parents have decided to put him on a medication to hopefully
help with his grades and his disruptive behavior. His pediatrician prescribed
him with Ritalin.
Since Thomas had
his cleft palate surgery, everything seems to be normal for him now. He
thankfully has not had any issues post surgery. He is developing normally for
his age. He doesn’t seem to have too many friends, but he does have one best
friend, James, who is in his class. Children with ADHD have a hard time making
and keeping friends because it requires so many skills that children with ADHD
do not naturally have. Some of these skills include talking, listening,
sharing, being empathetic and plenty of others. Typically, children Thomas’s
age have a bunch of friends and don’t seem to have an issue making them due to
skills that they naturally possess. As for now, Thomas seems to keep busy with
his piano lessons/recitals, studying for school, therapy, and occasionally
hanging out with James. His parents hope that he will branch out and make new
friends soon.
Questions:
1.
How
can a child diagnosed with ADHD affect their parent’s relationship? Is there a
higher divorce rate among parents with children who have disorders?
2.
In
terms of a musical prodigy, what three components can musical talent be divided
into? Explain each component. HINT: Solomon Textbook.
3.
What
other side effects can ADHD medications have on children?
Decision
Point: Do the Hooks look into marriage counseling for themselves? What benefits
could this have for them?
Far From the
Tree- Andrew Solomon
1. How can a child diagnosed with ADHD affect their parent’s relationship? Is there a higher divorce rate among parents with children who have disorders?
ReplyDeleteOne of the common arguments many couples have is if their child even has a disability or condition that would cause them to take medication or see a doctor regularly. This often leads to many disagreements and stresses a marriage very quickly for many. Even if there is an agreement, it could lead to future disagreements or questions, “What treatment path should we take?” Some parents may be very willing to try medication and some may be strictly against it and focus more on therapy and conditioning techniques instead.
A study shows that married couples with a child or children with ADHD are nearly twice as likely to divorce by the time the child is 8. " ‘Anytime you have a child with a condition like ADHD that impacts his ability to socialize, to follow rules, to learn, and listen, it impacts your marriage," says Los Angeles psychotherapist Jenn Berman, PhD. "As parents and as a couple, you need to listen, work together, and focus not only on your child, but each other as well.’ " (Hatfield, 2013)
2. In terms of a musical prodigy, what three components can musical talent be divided into? Explain each component. HINT: Solomon Textbook.
The three components of musical talent are divided into the athletic, the mimetic, and the interpretive. Athleticism requires some coordination and precision with your hands, lips, or body. “The person has to have a mimetic capacity to reproduce others techniques,” this is how Solomon describes the component of mimetic. Lastly, interpretation is when one to reproduces what they have learned, create something more of the music, and/or make the piece their own. These three things can begin at an early age.
3. What other side effects can ADHD medications have on children?
ReplyDeleteCommon side effects for medication that are stimulants for individuals with ADHD are sleep problems, weight loss, loss of appetite, irritability and tics. For nonstimulant medication, common side effects are anxiety, fatigue, stomach problems, dizziness, and headaches. Other side effects for other medications such as antidepressants and blood pressure medication are elevated heart rates, low blood pressure, behavior problems and other previously listed such as fatigue and dizziness. (Quinn, 2014)
Decision Point: Do the Hooks look into marriage counseling for themselves? What benefits could this have for them?
The Hooks should look into seeing a counselor about their marital problems. It is most beneficial to suppress stress and anxiety in the relationship before it grows enough to ruin a marriage. According to research done by the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, families and couples who have attended family or couples therapy sessions indicate high levels of patient satisfaction. Over 98 percent of those surveyed reported that they received good or excellent couples therapy, and over 97 percent of those surveyed said they got the help they needed. After working with a marriage or family therapist, 93 percent of patients said they had more effective tools for dealing with their problems. Respondents also reported improved physical health and the ability to function better at work after attending therapy. (Tasker, 2014)
Seeing a marriage counselor can lead to more effective communication and possibly working out newer schedules that would increase their time spent together and also evenly distribute their time with Thomas.
Citations:
Hatfield, Heather. When Your Child's ADHD Affects Your Relationship. Retrieved July 2, 2014, from http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/childhood-adhd/features/child-adhd-parental-relationship.
Quinn, Patricia MD. ADHD Medication Chart. Retrieved July 2, 2014 from http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/adhd-medication-chart.
Solomon, A. (2012). Prodigies. Far from the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity (). New York: Scribner.
Tasker, Rachael. Does Marriage Counseling Work: Statistics Can Help You Find the Answer. Retrieved July 2, 2014 from http://guidedoc.com/does-marriage-counseling-work-st