Myth #5:
ADHD is the result of bad parenting.
- When a child with ADHD blurts things out or gets out of his seat in class, it's not because he hasn't been taught that these behaviors are wrong. It's because he cannot control his impulses. The problem is rooted in brain chemistry, not discipline. In fact, overly strict parenting - which may involve punishing a child for things he can't control - can actually make ADHD symptoms worse. Professional interventions, such as drug therapy, psychotherapy, and behavior modification therapy, are usually required.
- ADHD is a physical disorder caused by differences in how the child's brain works. Anxiety-producing factors, such as family conflicts or disruptions, can aggravate the disorder, but they do not cause it.
- There are still some parent-bashers around who believe the century-old anachronism that child misbehavior is always a moral problem of the "bad child." Under this model, the treatment has been to "beat the Devil out of the child." Fortunately, most of us are more enlightened today. A body of family interaction research conducted by Dr. Russell Barkley and others has unequivocally demonstrated that simply providing more discipline without any other interventions worsens rather than improves the behavior of children with ADHD. One can't make a paraplegic walk by applying discipline. Similarly, one can't make a child with a biologically-based lack of self-control act better by simply applying discipline alone.