ADD symptoms in boys

Michael Gurian, MFA, CMHC Family Counselor, explains how a large number of young boys are misdiagnosed with ADD or ADHD and what parents can do to get a definite answer
Raising Boys | ADD vs. The Standard Boy Brain
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ADD symptoms in boys

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You may have noticed that your own child or someone else has been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD and there is a lot in this generation. We also have a lot of autism, etc. A few things are happening, and a few things to know. One thing that's happening is we believe there's something going on here in the United States that's different than the rest of the world. It's something, some toxicity or something that may be affecting the mom carrying the baby, the baby while she's being carried or he's being carried, or when he's one or two years old. There's something going on because we have such a number of these brain disorders. It's a big area of study. The second thing going on though is that a lot of boys especially are misdiagnosed. They don't really have ADD or ADHD. They're diagnosed at four or five or six or seven, which is very early. And a few of them have it, yes, absolutely. But a lot of them just are a mismatch. They're a mismatch with their school, they're a mismatch with the learning style that people are trying to teach them. They need to learn in a different way. They need more movement. They need different ways of thinking. So those are the ones that we estimate, so we as Gurian Institute, we've trained 60,000 teachers, we're estimating around 40% of diagnoses that are coming out of schools are probably false diagnoses. And what you can do as a parent is make sure to get what are called neuropsych batteries. So if your pediatrician says, "Oh yeah, I think your kid, I'm gonna give him some drugs," I mean, your pediatrician's smart, but your pediatrician probably hasn't done neuropsych batteries. So what you want to do is find a psychologist or psychiatrist who does neuropsych batteries. That's the person who can really tell you if your son has ADD or ADHD.

Michael Gurian, MFA, CMHC Family Counselor, explains how a large number of young boys are misdiagnosed with ADD or ADHD and what parents can do to get a definite answer

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Michael Gurian, MFA, CMHC

Family Counselor & Author

Michael Gurian is the New York Times bestselling author of 25 books published in 21 languages. He provides counseling services at the Marycliff Center, in Spokane, Washington. The Gurian Institute, which he co-founded, conducts research internationally, launches pilot programs and trains professionals. Michael has been called "the people's philosopher" for his ability to bring together people's ordinary lives and scientific ideas.

 He has pioneered efforts to bring neuro-biology and brain research into homes, schools, corporations, and public policy. A number of his books have sparked national debate, including The Wonder of Girls, The Wonder of Boys, and Boys and Girls Learn Differently!, and The Minds of Boys.



Michael has served as a consultant to families, corporations, therapists, physicians, school districts, community agencies, churches, criminal justice personnel and other professionals, traveling to approximately 20 cities per year to keynote at conferences. His training videos (also available as DVDs) for parents and volunteers are used by Big Brother and Big Sister agencies in the U.S. and Canada.

 As an educator, Michael previously taught at Gonzaga University, Eastern Washington University, and Ankara University.  His speaking engagements include Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, Stanford University, Macalester College, University of Colorado, University of Missouri-Kansas City, and UCLA. His philosophy reflects the diverse cultures (European, Asian, Middle Eastern and American) in which he has lived, worked and studied.

Michael's work has been featured in various media, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, USA Today, Newsweek, Time, People Magazine, Reader's Digest, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes Magazine, Parenting, Good Housekeeping, Redbook, and on the Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, PBS and National Public Radio.

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