Tourette's, Poor Parenting, or Infantilization?
I was driving in Jersey City, New Jersey earlier today, and I spied this placard, which was mounted to the rear of a public transit bus (click the image for a larger, more legible look-see).
The text on this placard read:
I'd like to digest this for a moment.
I did some research on Tourette's Syndrome and learned some interesting things. The thing the public knows most about Tourette's is sudden utterance of inappropriate and derogatory remarks (called "coprolalia"). But more common, believe it or not, are the sudden, repetitive, and involuntary movements (motor tics):
But while Tourette's is not considered a rare condition, the numbers of affected kids are not staggering: somewhere between 1 and 11 children per 1,000 have Tourette's. So that means that -- by my math, which could very well be faulty -- there are approximately 418,000 kids between birth and age 17 that have Tourette's.
So, I guess I am to think, based on this sign, that many -- perhaps a plurality, or maybe even a majority of -- young black babies in elementary school (the most frequent time of onset), and classified as troubled, or problematic, are victims of this insidious disorder.
Call me insensitive, but I think not.
To be sure, many young black boys in particular are labeled as disturbed, and troublemakers in class, then tracked to special education classes. And it bothers me to no end to see even young African-American kids stereotyped and segregated as problems in the classroom and out. Some are indeed incorrigible. Most are not.
But if I was going to look for insidious, pernicious causes of black kids acting out, I might first look at the home front.
Yeah, I said it... We need to examine our homes and how we raise our young black males (in particular), and what things we do as a community to encourage -- or at the very least not prevent -- poor behavior.
Perhaps we should start with say, diet. Maybe if we stopped literally pumping our kids to the bursting point with processed sugar in the form of sodas, super-sweet Kool-Aid, cookies, and doughnuts to start, little Tay Tay might be able to sit still long enough to pay attention in class. The Guardian paper in the UK ran a piece some time ago about how removing sugar and junk food from the diet of prisoners and replacing it with wholesome ingredients actually reduced violence in prisons. At the one institution, young men were fed multivitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids and the number of violent offences they committed in the prison fell by 37%. Kids certainly aren't hardened criminals but if we can reduce violent acting out by a change in diet, what could we do for our school-age kids by a change to a healthier lifestyle?! Perhaps a stalk of broccoli and some carrots instead of that bag of Doritos might help young Jane keep her focus (and help her long-term health as well).
Then, maybe we could focus on parenting.
Requiring very young expectant mothers to attend parenting classes and teaching them how to "love with discipline" and not constantly make excuses for their growing boys' poor behavior might positively impact the youngsters and better their prospects for success. It's fairly common knowledge that some -- certainly not all -- black mothers tend to make excuses for their son's behaviors while "raising" their daughters to be responsible and productive. Why should we have such low expectations for the future fathers of the race? It's high time that we demand the very best from our sons, because the world is going to be cruelest to those not expecting greatness from themselves.
And having fathers, or any positive male role model in their lives would help as well. The absence of positive male role models certainly cripples black boys' development. According to Time magazine, 55.3% of black families with children under 18 are maintained by the mother. Reducing the "hectic-ness" of many of our homes might be the only change necessary to turn D-student Tyrone into A+-student Tyrone. Additionally, most elementary-school teachers are female, leading black boys to view academic success as "feminine." The importance of the presence of strong men in the lives of children, for these reasons, cannot be overstated.
It appears to me that before we we reach for biological reasons for acting-out we need to focus on more mundane reasons for some of the ills that afflict our young. Sure, there are biological reasons, and yes those factors have to be taken into account. But I am convinced that the more we look to those reasons the more we discount simple things we can do to increase the likelihood of academic and future success for kids, black, white and otherwise.
I am not so convinced that little Johnny's outburst is his Tourette's ...it might just be the hectic, toxic environment he lives in at home.
The text on this placard read:
The image shows a little African-American boy, forlorn. I guess the insinuation is that the little boy suffers from this disorder, but has been mistakenly accused of acting out."Maybe it's not acting out...Maybe it's a neurological disorder...Maybe it's TS."
I'd like to digest this for a moment.
I did some research on Tourette's Syndrome and learned some interesting things. The thing the public knows most about Tourette's is sudden utterance of inappropriate and derogatory remarks (called "coprolalia"). But more common, believe it or not, are the sudden, repetitive, and involuntary movements (motor tics):
Also, Tourette's often is diagnosed "comorbid" with other disorders such as ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). So, those that suffer from TS are very likely to be affected by short attention spans, and the inability to stay still or focus."Motor tics are movement-based tics, while phonic tics are involuntary sounds produced by moving air through the nose, mouth, or throat." - Wikipedia
But while Tourette's is not considered a rare condition, the numbers of affected kids are not staggering: somewhere between 1 and 11 children per 1,000 have Tourette's. So that means that -- by my math, which could very well be faulty -- there are approximately 418,000 kids between birth and age 17 that have Tourette's.
So, I guess I am to think, based on this sign, that many -- perhaps a plurality, or maybe even a majority of -- young black babies in elementary school (the most frequent time of onset), and classified as troubled, or problematic, are victims of this insidious disorder.
Call me insensitive, but I think not.
To be sure, many young black boys in particular are labeled as disturbed, and troublemakers in class, then tracked to special education classes. And it bothers me to no end to see even young African-American kids stereotyped and segregated as problems in the classroom and out. Some are indeed incorrigible. Most are not.
But if I was going to look for insidious, pernicious causes of black kids acting out, I might first look at the home front.
Yeah, I said it... We need to examine our homes and how we raise our young black males (in particular), and what things we do as a community to encourage -- or at the very least not prevent -- poor behavior.
Perhaps we should start with say, diet. Maybe if we stopped literally pumping our kids to the bursting point with processed sugar in the form of sodas, super-sweet Kool-Aid, cookies, and doughnuts to start, little Tay Tay might be able to sit still long enough to pay attention in class. The Guardian paper in the UK ran a piece some time ago about how removing sugar and junk food from the diet of prisoners and replacing it with wholesome ingredients actually reduced violence in prisons. At the one institution, young men were fed multivitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids and the number of violent offences they committed in the prison fell by 37%. Kids certainly aren't hardened criminals but if we can reduce violent acting out by a change in diet, what could we do for our school-age kids by a change to a healthier lifestyle?! Perhaps a stalk of broccoli and some carrots instead of that bag of Doritos might help young Jane keep her focus (and help her long-term health as well).
Then, maybe we could focus on parenting.
Requiring very young expectant mothers to attend parenting classes and teaching them how to "love with discipline" and not constantly make excuses for their growing boys' poor behavior might positively impact the youngsters and better their prospects for success. It's fairly common knowledge that some -- certainly not all -- black mothers tend to make excuses for their son's behaviors while "raising" their daughters to be responsible and productive. Why should we have such low expectations for the future fathers of the race? It's high time that we demand the very best from our sons, because the world is going to be cruelest to those not expecting greatness from themselves.
And having fathers, or any positive male role model in their lives would help as well. The absence of positive male role models certainly cripples black boys' development. According to Time magazine, 55.3% of black families with children under 18 are maintained by the mother. Reducing the "hectic-ness" of many of our homes might be the only change necessary to turn D-student Tyrone into A+-student Tyrone. Additionally, most elementary-school teachers are female, leading black boys to view academic success as "feminine." The importance of the presence of strong men in the lives of children, for these reasons, cannot be overstated.
It appears to me that before we we reach for biological reasons for acting-out we need to focus on more mundane reasons for some of the ills that afflict our young. Sure, there are biological reasons, and yes those factors have to be taken into account. But I am convinced that the more we look to those reasons the more we discount simple things we can do to increase the likelihood of academic and future success for kids, black, white and otherwise.
I am not so convinced that little Johnny's outburst is his Tourette's ...it might just be the hectic, toxic environment he lives in at home.
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Nicely stated...and that's all I will write for now!
Okay, I like the way that you link poor nutrition to children's behavioral and quality of life outcomes (you know that brings me joy!!!). This can never be said enough!
But in the spirit of getting us to think and to then take action...is the aim of this posting to get parents to clean up our collective act for the sake of our children? I think most parents do the best they can with what they have...and we must not be quick to judge. Because the reality for most is much bleaker than the world we envision for ourselves and others that walk alongside us.
I believe that a large part of toxicity and stress at home comes from parents trying to prepare themselves for the nightmare of taking their children to the doctor because some knucklehead at their child's school decided that their little boy has ADHD, ADD, Tourette's Syndrome or whatever flavor of the month is gracing the professional health and education journals. Johnny needs medication to manage his disorder, and Mommy has to take him...and Mommy is unsure if the folks she's entrusted with her child's care are truly looking out for his/her best interestsm, and she sees things spiraling out of control, yet again.
No one thinks about the fact that most of the women you speak of spend day after each long and depressing and frustrating day of their lifes, driving their cars or riding the bus/subway/lightrail, etc., working in a hostile environment, and going home, sometimes 14-16 hours later, to a house full of children and no help and no way to get a healthy meal on the table...and all the constant reminders bombarding her that she really needs to make sure that her kids get their daily allowance of 31 vitamins and minerals.
Add to that the challenge of trying to negotiate time off with a boss who could care less about her children's health, and a 3-4 hour trip to the doctor just for the privilege of listening wordlessly to some half-baked explanation from a disengaged and preoccupied health care provider that doesn't give a hoot about her children.
As an parent of 2 girls and a very active 2-year-old boy, I can attest to this. I'll be damned if some dumb ass doctor or mental health professional diagnoses my son with Tourette's or ADHD because they are too lazy and disinterested to develop a better and more accurate working knowledge and understanding of their patient population.
So what rang true for me is the sad reality of health and education professionals MISreferring and MISdiagnosing our children based on MISeducation and stereotypes... that, if nothing else, will stress you out to the point of no return...If I MISsed the point, let me know...
I think that you were on point in your assessment that action needs taking.
I would also agree that most - the vast majority - parents do the best they can with what they have. And certainly parenting has to be one of the most frustrating, and thankless jobs in existence.
To be sure, the loving, devoted parent (you among them) are under tremendous stress in raising productive young people. God Bless you for your efforts, because your legacy will be kids that are a net benefit to society.
But I think that we can identify a subgroup for whom children are a cute accessory, to be discarded and reintegrated at times convenient to the parent.
And it is those parents that form the basis of my issue: that a good number of parents DON'T HAVE enough knowledge about parenting (nor desire to get it), that some DON'T HAVE enough maturity -- many by virtue of them barely being out of childhood themselves, and a few DON'T HAVE enough passion for being a parent.
It is those parents that I rail against directly.
As to the health professionals complicity in this sad state, I cannot agree with you more. My gut tells me there is a high degree of mis-diagnosis with ADHD, Tourette's, etc. in young people, in part to satisfy our nation's increasing self-victimization, and (perhaps mostly) to pad the pockets of caregivers and pharmaceutical companies by advocating and prescribing meds that are at best a component of more productive living, and at worst completely unnecessary.
Nah, you didn't miss the point. :)