ADHD, OCD, Generalized Anxiety, Phobias, Depression, Dyslexia…..these names may strike fear into the hearts of parents. We worry – what if it follows them? What if people judge them? What about stigma? What if the teachers change the way they treat my child?
Here’s the truth: the right label can be your child’s best friend. It is a guide, a light in the darkness, a map to the correct destination for teachers, parents, and kids alike. For example, if your child has ADHD, the teacher needs to start a reward system in the classroom to help them manage impulsivity. ADHD is an executive functioning difference that makes it hard for kids to remember long-term consequences in the moment. They struggle to inhibit their impulses. ADHD folks benefit from positive reinforcement in the moment to scaffold inhibitions.
Without the label: judgement and anger directed at a child who is “misbehaving.”
With the ADHD label: a child who has a learning difference that requires assistance and positive reinforcement.
How about OCD? I saw a parent who got really worried about this label, “people with OCD are crazy, right? Don’t tell my kid she’s crazy!” In fact, people with OCD may feel really crazy, but the label and psycho-education helps them understand that they are not. It’s a relief to know where the obsessive thoughts are coming from. In fact, I have never met a patient with OCD who did not feel a little bit better just from having a label for their experience.
Without the label: the fears are in charge.
With the OCD label: you can do Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) treatment for obsessive fears, and feel better.
Accurate labels lead to accurate treatment. You wouldn’t want your pediatrician to treat strep throat with a blood transfusion, and you wouldn’t want an oncologist to treat cancer with antibiotics. So you’d also better make sure you do the right testing before you administer blood transfusions or antibiotics. Similarly, you should do the right testing before providing treatment in the classroom. If a child has dyslexia, you want an Orton-Gillingham reading specialist in the classroom. To do that, you need a good psych-educational evaluation, and the label of dyslexia.
Without the label: a child who is treated like they’re stupid
With the Dyslexia label: a new teaching approach and a child who learns to read.
I could keep going….but I think you get the point. Get a good assessment, have the right testing done, and label your child. They will thank you for it.