"Adhd isn't a real thing and just an excuse for naughty boys"

[redcherrie]

How would you feel if your ADHD child came home and told you that this was said by a teacher to the whole class?

I'd feel that I would like to find out if that was what the teacher had actually said.

I'd be making a complaint.
We more or less had this said (luckily to me not DS) by a Sunday school teacher. The vicar backed her up. So we left the church. Then the vicar left the church before he could be sacked. So we didn't really have anyone to complain to.

This in spades

I agree. What was actually said?

Did the child do something and excuse it with ADHD, prompting a response which has been paraphrased?

I'd check the facts. Tough times in classrooms these days.

Agree with @MissJoGrant

A teacher would be incredibly stupid to say this in front of the whole class, I find it hard to believe.

Are you sure they didn't say ADHD is a real thing and isn't just an excuse for naughty boys? As lots of people do just use it as

Yep, I’d want to know the full story and context.

Thank you; my child is very sure this was said and other students after it happened spoke to him about it and asked if he was okay.

He is at an independent school, I have found over the years some teachers can have quite a prehistoric view on ADHD. In fact, we moved from one school after a teacher stated to us in parents evening that she thinks ADHD is made up and a poor excuse for boys who are naughty. So, there's definitely teachers out there with this view.

This is exactly what I thought, and told my son. I also asked that if the class were talking, did someone say 'I can't help it, I have adhd!' And the teacher responded with something similar. But my son is adamant that she was having a 'rant' about adhd and how it isn't real and people are being diagnosed for an excuse etc

Then you need to ask the head to investigate.

Hmm. Tbh I've had teachers say this but differently. I've had a little bit of a stern word with dd teacher as she's on new meds and in titration. She's the hyper child the over emotional one. The one with no real friends. The one who wouldn't think twice of thumping your child in the face and smashing their ipad if it was in their school bag. Anyways no issues now she is medicated. Literally none but before omg it was horrible they just couldn't cope at school and it was awful for my dd. Anyways her current teacher. I asked how her focus was and behaviour as in can she sit still and not get up and down. She's 10 btw y5. I had an email back saying well all kids get a bit like this in the afternoon. So we kept meds same based on this. They weren't a good fit btw and we have since changed to concerta 36mg.

Few weeks later my dd didn't react well to something and said teacher emailed saying she had not seen my dd behave like this at all before and needed more elsa support. I kindly reminded her she had adhd is in titration with a pending ehcp and she hasn't seen anything and hopefully she won't. Her nhs paperwork says danger to herself and others when not medicated. Anyways she now appears to understand thankfully.

Maybe look at your child's meds if they aren't sitting still, concentrating or regulating. I find concerta amazing. I also take it and it stops the voice that goes around your head questioning yourself and changing topics. If you dotn medicate your going to have low grades, poor behaviour and he will find cocaine and marijuana helpful. Oh and maybe prison.

So ALL unmedicated ADHD sufferers end up drug addicts or in prison? Really?

Sorry, I should say. He is medicated and does exceptionally well; his latest reports all 9s and 8s!

They have sanctions for poor behaviour at school and he's only had 4 since start of January which is pretty good going!

Apparently he wasn't in the group talking that morning either.

He's 13. And we are very proud of him as he does struggle daily.

Also, I do need to add that all staff are great with him, and know he has ADHD. They've been excellent with supporting him, with boundaries in place also.

So, this comment has thrown me off and I feel a little disappointed.

Quite a lot yeah. Alcohol, drugs and food are big issues.

I doubt very much s teacher said that. I have ADHD. And my children have. You. An have ADHD and be good or naughty.

Utter rubbish and ablist. Speaking as someone with 3 unmedicated dc, one at uni, another heading there. I also have a few late diagnosed friends who have none of these issues

I would dig really carefully into whether the teacher actually said it. Unfortunately, I believe there is over-diagnosis of ADHD and this manifests massively in school as parenting culture and styles have changed so much. It does a real disservice to those genuinely affected. If it's true it's appalling and I would want to follow it up. I'm just trying to think of what would trigger a teacher to say that to a group of pupils.

I don’t think this is acceptable. You should raise with the Senior Leadership Team at the school but in a gentle way in case somehow this has been taken out of context. If what was said is exactly as reported this is completely inappropriate given the improved understanding of neurodivergence.

I did laugh when one of my DS’s teacher’s told him “you just need to focus”. There we are then, ADHD cured.

But IF the teacher did say that I’d complain.

Also, IME most kids are assessed for ADHD after school flags it to parents as a potential issue. So I don’t think most teachers think like this one.

If he's certain that was what was said then I would definitely complain

But

They have sanctions for poor behaviour at school and he's only had 4 since start of January which is pretty good going!

4 sanctions in just over 2 months isn't really that good going.

WTF?!. I managed to 46 without diagnosis or meds, haven’t drunk alcohol since my 20s, have never taken drugs and no issues with food either. Never had so much as a parking ticket, never mind prison.

I think you've got a bit muddled there.

It is true that a scarily high percentage of the prison population has ADHD and/or co-morbidities like language and communication difficulties. Something like 80% of the prison population.

But the reverse is not true. Just because you have ADHD does not mean you will end up in prison.

Do you have a son with ADHD? It bloody is good going! Most of his classmates have over ten sanctions since January and they are neurotypical.

They get sanctions for not having shirt tucked in for example...

TBF she said 'quite a lot' and you actually confirmed that by saying that 80% of the prison population has ADHD. That's quite a lot of people surely? Research also shows that 20% of people with ADHD will develop an eating disorder, 80% will develop a comorbid MH issue at some point in their lives and ADHD triples the risk of substance abuse often as a form of self medication.

What this all adds up to though is that ADHD really needs to be taken seriously and is often a real struggle for people with it. That doesn't mean that people can't be brilliant, have amazing jobs or be well behaved but they need understanding and support and not to be dismissed as 'naughty boys' by teachers.

It's really not good enough OP but it doesn't really surprise me, it's the sort of comment that can lead to really low self esteem. Contact his head of year, SENCO and/or the head teacher. He sounds like he's doing really well, school can be a really difficult environment if you have ADHD.