ADHD just discussed on Radio 4 Woman's Hour...and guess what.........

[MUM23ASD]

the 'expert' is blaming us parents AGAIN for not bonding etc with our child!!!

He's denying ANY genetic link....just saying that if the MOTHER is anxious in the final 3 months of pregnancy...or it's a single parent family...then ADHD is the result!!!

As i always say, unless you've done the walk...don't do the talk!

here's the bbc website that refers to the show : www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/02/2008_39_fri.shtml

Was the 'expert' Oliver James?

If so, I'm afraid you could expect no better.

By the title of his book, I would say that Oliver James makes his living blaming family life for all ails.

yes...thats the man!

I am still seething!!!

Oh there was an article in The Times yesterday basically saying the same thing. We saw the Neuro Clin Psych for dd1 this morning, and I told her about it, and burst into tears. She said there were always people who will deny any real issue/dx because it cannot be proven with blood tests or brain scans, but that professionals TOTALLY know it exists, and hate the fact the parents get demonised and blamed for being 'bad parents'.

She was really nice and said 'you are not crap parents, you have a child with many complex disabilities, and who has behavioural and concentration problems. Now stop beating yourself up'.

I heart our new psychologist!

I've just listened to this. I am shocked. I do not have a child with ADHD (my boy is AS), but to blatently blame families in this way is ludicrous. The title of his book sums him up - I am sure if I was his child I would feel pretty f*** up.

Well done to Jenny Missen for rebutting him in a calm and controlled manner - he quite clearly came across as the buffoon.

"I am sure if I was his child I would feel pretty f* up."

my thoughts exactly

when i hear TWTS ( does not = I!!!)... I really pitty any children that he has!

...infact i wonder what he'd think of our household???

Mum - OCD on Prozac
Dad- PTSD on Seroxat
(hmmmm- bet he doesn't think either condition exists)

ds1 ADHD/AS- On 'ritalin' type drug
ds2 AS (with definite ADHD behaviours )
ds3 ADHD/AS on 'ritalin' type drug

I expect he'd have a view on our parenting skills!

It was very difficult to listen to! Trouble is so many people (schools sw scout leaders gps) hold these views! That James guy seemed to be confusing RAD and ADHD. He also ignored and confused the facts - no genetic links because nobodies found the gene yet - so our knowledge of genetics and interactions with the enviroment is perfect!!! Yes ADHD is more common in adopted and cared for kids (so are ASD and AS) but to say it is bad parenting that causes these things --- Grrr. Wish I was still active in research and could do a decent lit. search!!

Well my brother-in-law has just been diagnosed with adhd at the age of 38. My nephew, and my 5 year old ds have adhd. It is possible that dh has too.
James is a twat!

Oh, do email/write in to the programme telling them exactly what you think. Some very good points here. Especially the fact that 'haven't found a particular gene' does not equal 'no genetic cause'. Dummies.

Mum23ASD, I have the feeling that everytime I meet with proffessionals,. that they look at me with that view that I amust be terrible parent. My ds2 ahs as/adhd, ds3 has asd, ds4 looks like possible asd, though still quite young.
My eldest ds1 has as too.
I have tried all the behavioural therapy that they have thrown at me.

We have never been offered any support via the medical sevices (support and training courses have come from the voluntary sector ie support groups and the NAS, ADDIS etc). In most places if a school age child is Dx with ASD or AS they are discharged unsupported. With ADHD the only therapy offered to most is medication (only a few clinics have specialised behavioural support on offer). The Nice guidance of only providing medication in severe cases via a 'specialist' is already what happens. GPs only prescribe under the direction of a paediatrician ( ie between appointments etc). The media has picked up on the new NICE guidance and got back on their high horses and completely missed the point - that families need support!

MUM23ASD - Oliver James would probably say your children have ADHD/ASD because you were anxious during your pregnancy, since OCD is an anxiety-based disorder. He would probably then go on to blame your mother's behaviour during her pregnancy and your childhood for your OCD. He would, of course, deny any possibility that any of it has a genetic basis, or even that it is caused by particular genes reacting with a particular environment (ie a bit of both) - just blame whichever distant ancestor started the whole anxiety thing off by getting a bit too stressed when she was pregnant, resulting a few generations later in ADHD because no-one went to him for counselling to stop the vicious cycle.

The thing that so shocked me was his attitude to parenting support/training/workshops: 'well if it's genetic then why bother?' he actually said that! What, so if people don't see things in exactly the same way as he does then they don't deserve any help? People can't benefit from professional input in creating strategies etc. unless they're prepared to hold their hands up and say 'yes yes it's all my fault that my child's like this' ?!

I was so disappointed because I do actually broadly agree with many of his ideas about the impact of childhood on our adult selves (not relating to ADHD, I hasten to add). But in this instance I just thought he was needlessly unkind and completely unprofessional.

If he's trying to talk about the importance of love and flexible thinking then he's got a funny way of modelling it.