Do you agree poor parenting is what causes ADHD?

Question

i do. i have had 6 kids and they are all fine mentally. i think ADHD & Autism and behavior issues are because there is a lack of discipline, kids watch to many things with flashing screens, don't play outside and parents are to blame.

What do you think?

Answer 1

I concur! I played outside without worrying about germs. I rode my bicycle without a helmet and kneepads. I went roller skating without any safety gear. I went to the restroom at the mall without mom giving me a bottle of germ killer first.

I used my imagination when playing with toys to make the time more exciting. We didn't have XBox, iPod, computers and such. We had tinker toys, Lego, GI Joe and such that required thought to play with.

Phurface

Answer 2

Do you know or even understand what autism is? Autism is diagnosed when a child is still quite young--I believe around two or three. It is an actual mental disorder in the brain. It has nothing to do with bad parenting or good parenting. It is a disorder that cannot be helped by simple things.

Anyway, I can somewhat agree with you on ADHD. I am not saying there aren't valid kids with great parents who have ADHD but I believe very many kids are misdiagnosed these days. It could be a lack of good parenting, a poor diet, not enough attention at home, or simply confused parents just looking for help or a miracle medication for their child.

I think that some [many] cases of ADHD and ADD could be helped if some parents researched about diet and exercises more. Some parents do take the easy way out. At the same time and on the same note you must realize that ADHD and ADD are actual disorders that many kids DO have who also have amazing parents who do everything in their power to ensure their kids IS healthy.

Answer 3

No, those are medical disorders.

Here is what the National Institute for Mental Health has to say about ADHD:

There is little compelling evidence at this time that ADHD can arise purely from social factors or child-rearing methods. Most substantiated causes appear to fall in the realm of neurobiology and genetics.

Sooo...ADHD is hereditary and brains of people with ADHD are structurally different from those without the disorder.

Here's what the Center for Disease Control says about Autism:

Scientists think that both genes and the environment play a role, and there might be many causes that lead to ASDs. Some harmful drugs taken during pregnancy also have been linked with a higher risk of autism, specifically, the prescription drug thalidomide.

Autism can be detected in children as young as 18 months...before discipline, tv watching habits and outdoor playtime even become issues.

Scientists agree that an unhealthy home environment can make both of these disorders worse, but they are not caused purely by environment.

It's not really surprising that your kids don't have these disorders since Autism affects only 1 in 150 kids and between 3-7% of people have ADHD. Not exactly common problems.

Answer 4

hummm, wow, for someone who has 6 kids I would expect you to have a little more empathy for children... consider yourself lucky that your kids are healthy. Your "diagnosis" is extraordinarily over-simplistic and without any real understanding of what these disorders are.

As for the ADHD, I agree with the comment about over-diagnosis but I strongly feel that it is a chemical imbalance in the person's brain as well as genetic pre-dispositions.

As for autism, that is the most shocking. Back in the 1950's when people had no real idea what autism was doctor's blamed autism on the "refrigerator mom" - meaning the mother did not love the kid enough - which is absurd and has been proven to be just that.

While there are many theories about autism - and the staggering variety it manifests itself in individuals (from the non-functional like Rainman to the highly functioning types who have Asbergers - ahem, Steven Speilberg, Dan Ackroyd and others - including Albert Einstein) - the reality is we really do not yet understand the cause of these disorders.

Further, from a personal experience a very close friend of mine, who is a Micro-Biologist has two brothers... one is an international investment banker and the other, yep, is severely autistic. The fact that out of three kids - two are brilliant and one is unable to even eat with out assistance is a good example of how ludicrous your theory is.

Thankfully most people do not think like you do and are looking into how to treat and possibly cure these disorders. Yes, there is a good bit of evidence that some of these disorders are actual food allergies and that eliminating dairy and/or wheat gluetins from the kid's diet will make a significant improvement - the reality is we are still trying to understand the whys and hows of these kids of brain chemical disorders.

Answer 5

I would not base my view of ADHD and Autism on just my kids. There is also your genetics, God and the other environmental factors that went in to 6 healthy kids including the free will and mindset of those 6 kids. I would just be thankful that I had healthy children and pray they stay that way.
You do not know the parents of the ADHD children do you? So how do know if they are not disciplining their kids? Do you know the lots of parents with Autistic children? Do you know what kind of people they are? How they discipline? Scientific research is intensive and hard. There are a large number of variables that can affect a child, the discipline a child receives is only one factor. That is why it looks as though not much is being done.
I am not knocking discipline. Many, many children are not given the right kind of discipline and suffer for it. But I would be very careful to assign blame to parents for ADHD and Autism.

Answer 6

Hold on, are you actually saying that autism is caused by children watching too much tv and not playing outside? And a lack of discipline? Wow. Just...wow.
I think you are sorely misinformed on what autism is. And for that matter, ADD/ADHD. They are developmental disorders, not something that is caused by bad parenting. I mean it's great your children are all "fine mentally" but you cannot base an opinion on that. You do realize that, don't you?
Do yourself a favor and read up on what these disorders actually are. Here are some websites:
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/adhd/complete-publication.shtml

Answer 7

No. I think you are way off on autism.

As for ADHD, I believe some there are some cases that have to do with parenting and that it is overdiagnosed. But given that you also cited autism, think you need to do more research on the subject. Scientific American had a great special issue with a baby on the cover - swimming I believe - that talked about the development of the infants brain and autism and adhd factors including environmental effects, toxic toys & cleaners, diet, nutrition, and a whole slew of possible causes.

Answer 8

ADHD, maybe. Depends on the situation. If kids are fed too much junk, yes. They'll go off the walls. Adjusting diets to healthy eating diets has worked wonders in many (former) ADHD kids. My brother was very much that way, until my parents put him on the Feingold Diet. My other brother and I had to follow it as well, but not as closely, just because mom was cooking according to the Feingold Diet.

Autism? No, that's usually detected at about 2 or 3, or so I understand.

Answer 9

I really doubt it. My parents never really bought that ADHD thing, either. They just thought it was a lack of discipline...and I do think that may be true with at least some of the cases. My parents had 4 kids, though. Me and 3 other brothers. 3 of us were normal and the 4th one bounced off the wall continuously. No amount of punishment could settle him down. It wasn't too much sugar, either, as my parents were absolute health nuts and sugar was outlawed in our house. Now, he's going to college and due to the fact that he could not concentrate at all as his mind ran constantly, he finally went to a doctor. He was diagnosed with ADHD, given medication and now he says it's wonderful that he can finally concentrate in school and his grades are much better. So I guess it really is a physical problem.

Answer 10

I think that the over diagnoses of ADHD is poor parenting.
I think a lot of people think of medication, before alternative answers.
when you think about it 30 years ago we didn't have this problem, but today we feed more sugar and our kids do less.
before we ate good and played outside.

What I don't understand is why you have put Autism and ADHD in the same group.
I have worked in the mental health field for 12 years and I have spent a lot of time working with kids/adults who have autism and I can tell you it is not in the same family as ADHD.

That is like comparing someone who is deaf, with someone who blind, two different things.

Answer 11

I dont believe that ADHD is cause by poor parenting...but i DO believe that poor parenting can make ADHD much worse. I think there is a fine line between being firm and being a pushover, and I think alot of parents dont know how to handle kids like that.