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Freethought
Association of West Michigan
Meeting Minutes for February 28, 2001, #86
Reminder: We are having a business meeting for
the purpose of discussing the future development and growth of
our group. This will take place on March 21; the same time and
place as for our regular meetings.
There has been another modification to the schedule of upcoming
topics. The following is the current listing:
Ø MARCH 14: "Surely We're Different! Is there "sanctity
of life" for human and non-human animals?" Moderated
by Jeff Seaver.
Ø MARCH 21; 7PM Calkins Science Center: FAOWM Business
Meeting (see above).
Ø MARCH 28: "Guns, Germs & Steel." Moderated
by Marshall Grate.
Ø APRIL 11: "Is Alcoholism a Disease?" Moderated
by Jill Pinkerton.
Ø APRIL 25: "Are There Objective Values? Human Hope
vs. Randian Logic as an Answer to Relativism." Moderated
by Dr. Joseph Ellin.
Ø MAY 9: "Determinism vs. Free Will: How Will, Choice
and Liberty are Consistent with Determinism." Moderated by
William Merriman.
A meeting is scheduled for those interested in volunteering to
help with coordinating the potential televising of group meetings
through GRTV. This is for March 2 around 2:30-3PM.
March 6 will be the first broadcast of "The Humanist Perspective
on public access tv in the Hudsonville/ Georgetown viewing area.
This is the first of 6 tapes to be shown. Time VanHaitsma has
coordinated this and can still use help in getting this out to
other areas. Showtime will be 5:30PM, Channel 6 in Hudsonville.
Jeff brought to our attention the new issue of Skeptic magazine.
Photos were snapped at the meeting, for those willing to be photographed,
to be used along with an article written by member Dirk Nebbeling.
This will appear in the Fountain Street Church publication, "Free
Spirit" to introduce our group to F.S. Church members.
Our topic for this meeting was "ADHD: Disease or Deception?"
It was presented by Robert W. Collins, PhD, PC. Dr. Collins went
through the medical model definition of disease, the history of
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and its treatment procedures,
beliefs regarding its nature and course through time, symptoms,
tests and possible causes.
While this condition has probably always been with us, it was
1st documented in the medical journal Lancet, by Dr. George Still
in 1902. He described very emotional, aggressive subjects with
limited sustained inhibition and defiant regarding rule-governed
behavior. In classrooms, these were disruptive children who could
not keep their hands to themselves or stay on task well. >From
the '30's through the 50's this was designated as Minimal Brain
Damage and regarded more explicit damage with "soft signs"
that might include bed-wetting, clumsiness, poor maturation, and
developmental delays. The '60's saw it expressed as Hyperkinetic
Reaction in Childhood and medications were introduced that became
widespread. Pre-birth differences were found and bio-feedback
was used, though in a limited fashion. ADD was coined in the 70's,
though it was controversial. ADHD was introduced in the 80's,
with or without the Hyperactive- Impulsivity component. The various
forms and diagnosis were defined and specified.
We discussed the pattern of study of behavior starting with a
constellation of symptoms that go toward a syndrome where the
underlying physical cause or causes are explored. We talked about
exogenous and endogenous causes. Those from without including
the bombardment of the senses by the random cacophony of stimulation,
confusion, the fast pace and quick change of content in presented
input, plus the further rippling out to further environmental
factors. From within causes would include genetic and brain structure
differences.
It was mentioned that deficiencies in the ability to organize
tend to show up more often in modern societies, fraught with the
"information explosion" and disruptive conditions in
home-life. Children have to manage ever- increasing amounts of
information and are expected to keep still for long periods for
information-saturated learning.
Ritalin and other medications (Adderal, Dexedrine, Cylert, Clonodine
and Concerta, etc.) were discussed and what symptoms they were
and were not advocated for. Ritalin has been seen as a "quick
and dirty" response to help manage the more wild children
who cannot attend to textbooks or class instruction. It is not
recommended for the "space cadet" who is without any
focus, for instance. Some stimulants were mentioned that have
too short a "half-life" for true effectiveness.
Brainwave discrepancies were noted in these individuals as well
as specific brain structure differences including the vermis region
of the cerebellum being smaller and the right prefrontal cortex
and two basal ganglia called the caudate nucleus being significantly
smaller than with normal children. Regarding genetics; siblings
are between 5 and 7 times more likely to develop the syndrome.
Similarities were mentioned between those with TBI (traumatic
brain injury) and those with ADHD, with difficulty in controlling
inhibitions being one.
This last-noted symptom shows up dramatically in the CPT (continuous
performance test) where individuals with ADHD have difficulty
in controlling responses to stimuli. Anticipation and problems
inhibiting factor in so that directions for response type cannot
be followed effectively. Dr. Collins showed us some of this testing
in a video tape. Dr. Collins said that one has to be careful in
diagnosis and should include classroom and home environment observation,
the family history, memory, IQ and other tests. He and other group
members talked about how quick some in the medical profession
are to label and prescribe medications before a full investigation
has been done.
While symptoms must be noted before age 7 for individuals to be
considered having some form of this condition along the spectrum
of this subset of behavioral types, it is now known that from
50% to 2/3rds of children go into adulthood with this condition,
though generally the symptoms diminish over the lifetime of the
individual.
Some of the items that came up in our discussion were ones of
overmedicating children, societal views, the influence on these
views from the Judeo-Christian mindset and alternative methods
to medications in treatment and changes in the school system to
accommodate better these individuals.
Dr. Collins' conclusion regarding the topic question---is ADHD
a disease or deception?-was that some use it to deceive, but that
does not make the condition unreal.
Recorder: Charles LaRue
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