In the Sydney Morning Herald ‘OPINION’ section…an article by Elizabeth Farrrelly in which she asks: ‘Are we in danger of seeing boyhood as a disorder?’ She says that personality traits that were once tolerated and even celebrated are now treated as disorders. ADHD as a diagnosis has quadrupled in seven years. The male to female ratio in ADHD is 2.45 to 1. How come then the use of Ritalin is 5 to 1? Good question.
I do know that if I throw my 5 year old son in the air in the local swimming pool (who hasn’t seen the joy on the face of a child when you do this?) I am told to stop coz it’s dangerous. If we skim an object under/over/along the water surface we are told it is dangerous. Hmmmm….something feels a tad outa whack.
Elizabeth, in closing her article, suggests that we may well need more of the ‘crazily creative’ types in our society than fewer.
I reckon we need to throw more kids…and possibly adults…in the air? Just a start anyway.