Back to the Basics: My Politically Incorrect Opinion
At the present time, it is estimated that 20% of the children in any public school classroom have been diagnosed with a mental health disorder. 20%! That's five children in an average-sized class of twenty-five. This statistic doesn't include those children who, for one reason or another, have never received a diagnosis for their unconventional behaviors. As a former teacher, and as a parent of children with mental health concerns, I don't doubt this number at all. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the number were higher. But, the question remains: Why are there so many kids with mental health diagnoses, like ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), autism, depression, bipolar disorder, reactive attachment disorder, and numerous other behavioral disorders? I don't remember having any classmates who routinely disrupted classes when I was a child. Children with special needs were usually sent away to some kind of special school, but even so, there just ...