Article on how the French view and treat ADHD in children

[OnTheBrink]

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/suffer-the-children/201203/why-french-kids-dont-have-adhd

 

I have no horse in this race; I know ADHD is a hot topic so I thought I'd share.

[poppy]

France has a very different, much stricter approach to child rearing than the US. US parents seem incredibly indulgent in comparison. There are pros and cons to each aoproach. I personally enjoy the heck out or my kids and don't want them to be, for example, silent at the dinner table. But the much lower ADHD medical / pharmacy approach is intruiging....

[I.Dup.]

It was also interesting to read Temple Grandin's books and read how strict her mother was with her. She wasn't allowed to throw fits or not be engaged or behave properly, even with severe autism. She was very thankful her mother was strict with her in these ways.

[MeghanL]

Yay! Another article about how ADHD would disappear if these kids just had better parents.

 

Yes, that's a snarky & sarcastic comment. However, my child has real problems! Real problems that I have spent countless hours trying to understand, correct, love him through and set him up for success in life. These articles are NOT helpful. They just aren't. "Do better" is not a treatment for ADHD.

[JennyD]

I have an American friend with a French DH, and they are sending their children to French school. Their son has had a lot of ADHD-ish issues for a couple of years, and they will finally be taking the child for a neuropsych evaluation in France this summer. Their experience with the French school system, not to mention the husband's extended family, has been consistently unhelpful and notably unpleasant. The child is making some decent progress, thanks to the staggering amounts of thought and attention my friend has put in to trying to remediate these problems, but the school situation has remained so intractable that she is actually considering homeschooling.

[MeghanL]

I did read the article. Especially the end:

As a therapist who works with children, it makes perfect sense to me that French children don't need medications to control their behavior because they learn self-control early in their lives. The children grow up in families in which the rules are well-understood, and a clear family hierarchy is firmly in place. In French families, as Druckerman describes them, parents are firmly in charge of their kids—instead of the American family style, in which the situation is all too often vice versa.

 

I don't think it's a leap to think that the author of the article thinks that ADHD is (if not caused) exacerbated by poor parenting.That is the idea I take issue with.

[Audrey]

I did read the article. Especially the end:

As a therapist who works with children, it makes perfect sense to me that French children don't need medications to control their behavior because they learn self-control early in their lives. The children grow up in families in which the rules are well-understood, and a clear family hierarchy is firmly in place. In French families, as Druckerman describes them, parents are firmly in charge of their kids—instead of the American family style, in which the situation is all too often vice versa.

 

I don't think it's a leap to think that the author of the article thinks that ADHD is (if not caused) exacerbated by poor parenting.That is the idea I take issue with.

 

 

Did you read the first half of the article where it discussed the vastly different approaches of American psychologists/psychiatrists and French psychologists/psychiatrists? The TWO points in the article were about the different schools of thought on the subject of ADHD, and different approaches to family dynamics

 

I found the article rather interesting and useful. Yes, it points to different parenting styles -- something that I think IS a factor for many children, but certainly not all. I also noted at the end that the author also penned a book called Pills are not for Preschoolers, which obviously puts her in the low/no-meds category. So, one should balance that with the rest of the article.

[Shahrazad]

I think there is a valid point in that there should be multiple facets to ADHD treatment beyond just meds and I do think there are some environmental factors that exacerbate ADHD that are found more commonly in American households, however I won't be having my children CIO at 4 months or spanking them to teach them self-control nor do I think that not parenting in those particular ways will be the cause of ADHD in my children.

[Serenade]

Europeans, in general, live differently than Americans. Is is not surprising to me that their approach to childhood behavior is different.

 

This stood out to me

 

Moreover, the definition of ADHD is not as broad as in the American system, which, in my view, tends to "pathologize" much of what is normal childhood behavior.

 

I very much agree with the bolded.

 

I have one child diagnosed with ADHD nearly 7 years ago. He has not been treated medically, and honestly, mostly it's not been too much of a problem. Until these lovely teenage days, that is. Now I'm considering meds more and more. Whether we'll go that route, I don't know, but I constantly think about things that we can do to avoid it. I do think environment, family life, etc, can have a lot to do with childhood behavior. I'm constantly thinking about what I can do as a parent to improve things for my son. It doesn't make me think I'm less of a parent. It is only logical to consider all environmental aspects, including parenting techniques. Today was one of those days I failed as a parent. <shrug> I'm human. I'll forgive myself, and I'll forgive my son, and we'll try again to do better next time.

 

I appreciate this article. I've been wondering about ADHD in Europe vs the US, but I've never found any good statistics.

[Paige]

I read the article and disliked it. I found lots of assertions and few facts. I also found nothing that showed how the kids were actually faring in each country. Are French children who are having ADHD symptoms and problems more successful in school and social situations or not? Not giving them the ADHD label or medications does not magically make the problem disappear. Perhaps the children and families are miserable and suffering in shame. As adults, do the French children with ADHD have outcomes similar to children not identified as possibly having ADHD?

 

It is also untrue that "Americans" rush to use drugs. Most people try lots of different things before drugs. The French food supply, like the rest of the EU, also doesn't contain many of the additive approved here, does it? I think yellow #5 does horrible things to my children. I'm not a fan of any food dyes, but that one sets my DS off as if I'd given him meth or something and has since he was an infant.

[MistyMountain]

The figures they stare for how many French kids have adhd and are medicated are not even accurate. Sure there are kids that are diagnosed that probably didn't go through a rigorous enough process and don't have it and kids that are medicated that don't need to be but I don't like how it is blamed on parenting or that it is the person's fault and not a issue with brain chemistry. A kid who truly has it cannot be cured by diet or different behavior approaches any more than kids with autism, bipolar or whatever other condition kids may have. Eliminating food dyes and other additives probably does help some kids but it doesn't work for everyone. I don't know why adhd especially is always blamed on parenting. Kids that are not properly treated run an extremely high risk compared to the general population of being addicted to alcohol or drugs. The rates are lower for kids who are treated properly yet everyone makes parents feel terrible for treating it.

[Mandylubug]

I read it and disliked it as well. While I realize that way too many kids are diagnosed with ADHD these days; I was one of those parents that just assumed I was the reason my kid couldn't do well. I always heard "if you spank the kid he would behave, etc." when people were talking about kids that had adhd. What was ironic was I was suffering with a child that was quiet and did not cause social waves like most of those "bad behavior kids" that everyone spoke of. Never the less, I ignored the diagnosis for YEARS. I refused to medicate because I just knew I could be a better parent, limit foods and create a better structure within our home and therefore "cure" my child. How wrong I was! My son thanked me the first day he took his medication because he could finally complete his thought process, etc. I spanked my child, I kept his schedule strict and on time, I set clear boundaries and limited foods and it was not the answer. And you know what else?! He is not impulsive, he does not get in trouble when he is medicated. So what good did all those spankings do? What good did the strict schedules do if it never cured the issue. You can't spank and structure a kid into not having a medical condition.

 

ADHD is multifaceted and one size will never fit all children when it comes to treatments, etc. The article was just full of hot air and opinions.

[Just Another Jen]

Europeans, in general, live differently than Americans. Is is not surprising to me that their approach to childhood behavior is different.

 

This stood out to me

 

 

 

I very much agree with the bolded.

 

I have one child diagnosed with ADHD nearly 7 years ago. He has not been treated medically, and honestly, mostly it's not been too much of a problem. Until these lovely teenage days, that is. Now I'm considering meds more and more. Whether we'll go that route, I don't know, but I constantly think about things that we can do to avoid it. I do think environment, family life, etc, can have a lot to do with childhood behavior. I'm constantly thinking about what I can do as a parent to improve things for my son. It doesn't make me think I'm less of a parent. It is only logical to consider all environmental aspects, including parenting techniques. Today was one of those days I failed as a parent. <shrug> I'm human. I'll forgive myself, and I'll forgive my son, and we'll try again to do better next time.

 

I appreciate this article. I've been wondering about ADHD in Europe vs the US, but I've never found any good statistics.

 

 

 

 

My middle son was diagnosed when he was 7- we just started medication this year at the age of 17 because I can no longer control his artificial intake and because he did the research and asked to try meds. I think the article has some good points, but blaming the parents isn't cool with me. All my kids have the same rules- they don't all have adhd.

[SKL]

I thought it was kind of dumb that they implied there is "a" parenting approach in France and "a" different one in the USA. The one they described is pretty much the one I follow, and on the other hand, I'm sure there are French children who periodically force their parents to think ouside the box. The first half of the article was somewhat informative as far as the approach to what we call ADHD. However, I didn't get the impression they don't have problems, just that they treat them differently. But there was no depth to the discussion. Kind of a waste of time IMO.

[misty.warden]

What I got out of the article: French doctors don't diagnose ADHD the same way American doctors do; they literally have different diagnostic criteria and culturally different views on what constitutes "normal" childhood behavior and as a side note "OMG France is different than America in what is seen as the most appropriate parenting method (early use of CIO, corporal punishment, set mealtimes)."

 

I would assume that means that French children must be much further outside what Americans would view as "normal" behavior-wise to get an ADHD diagnosis, and even then medications are not the first treatment their doctor would suggest. The inclusion of differences in parenting style seemed totally shoehorned in, IMO and didn't add anything to the scope of the article.

[Wendi]

My thoughts:

 

Diagnosis rate does not equal prevalence rate. If the French put a stricter definition on ADHD, as stated in the article, then we can reasonably expect that fewer people will be diagnosed. Also, it's possible other factors come into play, such as societal stigma (if it's a problem with the child's emotional/social context, then parents may be embarrassed to seek diagnosis). If more people hear of successful treatment (in the U.S.), then more people will seek diagnosis/treatment, and at an earlier age. So there are lots of reasons those rates can differ.

 

There is no data given about the outcome of treatment in either country, just that it differs.

 

There is no one American way to parent, and no one French way.

 

The article implies poor American parenting is resulting in frequent ADHD, while superior French parenting results in almost no ADHD. However, again, diagnosis and prevalence is not the same thing. Are there undiagnosed French children and adults struggling to cope in other ways, never being diagnosed? We have no way of knowing. Why might only one child in a family have ADHD, either here or in France, if parenting is the cause?

[Luanne]

I agree that some children are harder to deal with even with proper discipline. I also think that a lot of children who are diagnosed with ADHD in America simply have parents who have no rules and very little limitations on their children. I am not addressing anything I read here, just stating it as I see it.

[SKL]

I've said it before, but since having a little experience with the way schools and doctors look at kids who don't exactly fit a mold, I am very skeptical about the prevalence of ADHD in the USA. In my experience, it's been the go-to explanation for challenges in school. Even though I have repeatedly offered that my kid has auditory processing and vision issues, which she's in therapy for, they want everything to be "attention." She's also young in her class, and they compared her "attention" to that of a much older classmate as part of the eval by the school psych. Meanwhile the pediatrician jumped to the ADHD label when she heard (over the phone, before meeting us) that my kid is both young for her grade and adopted, as both of these groups have high rates of ADHD. Adoption issues aside, how in the world can medical professionals be OK with a higher rate of diagnosis in younger kids? Younger kids act younger, hello. That's not a medical condition. Maybe in other countries, kids are expected to act their age?

[garddwr]

Well, my experience in French schools is two decades old, but I remember a boy in my class who had definite ADHD tendencies--he was constantly getting yelled at and even slapped in school. I don't think that solved any underlying issues.

[Wendi]

Even if the French all parent differently than all Americans, and there is a different rate of ADHD in the two countries, correlation is not causation. I just think the article is flimsy.

[LeslieAnneLevine]

I disliked the article. It didn't sound like the author had much real experience in how the French handle ADHD; it sounded more like someone read an report and decided to write an article. The author even referenced the book Bringing up Bebe which is a load of crap (and carp). It's based on an outsider's observations of how she thinks French people handle their children by watching them at the park, etc. and then decides they are doing things so much better. Gag.

 

I love France dearly and think there are many wonderful things about the country, but any article that states that French children are better behaved than American children loses all credibility. It's just not true. What might be true is that French children are better behaved while under the attentive supervision of their parent of teacher, but that's as far as it goes.

 

I did get the impression that ADHD (eta: while living in France, not from the article) is sometimes completely ignored in France. Also, French people do not shun prescription medications.

[KungFuPanda]

Francophiles are annoying.

[Renee in NC]

It was also interesting to read Temple Grandin's books and read how strict her mother was with her. She wasn't allowed to throw fits or not be engaged or behave properly, even with severe autism. She was very thankful her mother was strict with her in these ways.

 

 

ADHD does not always mean bad behavior.

 

My 12yo isn't allowed to throw fits or not be engaged or behave properly. In 2010 he was given an IQ of 62, and I was told he needed to be in special ed to learn life skills. He was on a preschool level at age 9 and a half. A psychiatrist prescribed meds for two reasons - to control his rages (where he banged his had against the wall and said he wanted to die) and to "up his processing a little." HE noticed a difference on day 1.

 

Three years later his IQ has jumped at *least* 40 points. He has not only learned to read, but is on grade level and has been on the A-B honor roll all year. Stimulants changed his life. He can tell when he doesn't take his meds because everything is harder. Without meds he wouldn't be where he is now.

[akvtmama]

Saw this posted on FB in response to this article. Thought it was interesting to see the other side if you will. This article is by couple of French doctors who specialize in ADHD. http://www.touchbriefings.com/pdf/3107/cortese.pdf

[Mandylubug]

Saw this posted on FB in response to this article. Thought it was interesting to see the other side if you will. This article is by couple of French doctors who specialize in ADHD. http://www.touchbrie...107/cortese.pdf

 

that was very interesting. It noted the differences in the availability of medication in other countries vs France, and if I read it correctly (I skimmed) it stated that in France, you must see a mental health specialist once a year and they must be the first doctor to prescribe the medicine as treatment for ADHD. Therefore, made the diagnosis and obtaining medication more difficult than in the US or other countries where a General Practioner can diagnose and treat.