ADD †Attention Deficit Disorder

ADD – Attention Deficit Disorder Free Online Research Papers When I surveyed the class and asked the question, do you know anyone with a learning disability or not; ten of you said yes, and six said no. What you probably don’t know is that a lot of your friends most likely have a learning disability, you just don’t see it. I’m going to share with the class a true story from my past that I have never shared with anyone. It all started when I was diagnosed in the fifth grade. My teacher asked my mother to come to school because she needed to talk to her about how I was doing in my studies. Her exact words were, â€Å"Mrs. Jersey, I think you should know that your daughter is slow.† But I’m making it a point, to let the class know that I am, by no means, slow. But there was something wrong; my parents just didn’t pick up on it yet. Needless to say that a certain teacher was reprimanded for her actions that day and that I was tested for a learning disability within that same week. SLIDE 4- Congratulations you have attention deficit. Can you imagine being nine years old and being told that you have a disability? I didn’t feel like any of the other kids, not to mention I was failing every subject that was I taking. Until I was put on medication, even though it was a very small dose, it did the trick. Adderall; it changed my life. Within a week of taking my new prescription, my teachers noticed a drastic change in my performance in class. SLIDE 5- But I was dealing with other issues because of this medication, the dark side of it, the possible side effects that I wasn’t told about, until after I had them. The side effects that I experience were horrible, I was losing weight because I lost my appetite, I was constantly having severe migraines, I was always dizzy, and I couldn’t fall asleep if you paid me to. Why put any child through such an ordeal? I could stop taking the meds at anytime if I wanted to, but I didn’t. I finally felt normal for the first time, and I actually started to fit in with the other kids. Those side effects were a small price to pay when you consider what I was gaining in the end. Those were just my side effects, but there are many other ones, and there are a few that can be harmful to your health. ADD medicine can cause severe heart and liver problems; to this day I have to get blood work done each year to make sure that my liver is still in good condition. But no matter th e cost, it’s all worth it. SLIDE 6- There are tons of people out there who don’t agree with medicating a children. In doing extra research for my speech I found many websites who are trying to abolish the use of typical ADD/ ADHD medications. They are suggesting as an alternative, to try herbal medications, and other â€Å"steps† to deal with your child’s disability, that doesn’t involve any medication at all. One website, created an herbal drug called â€Å"mind soothe† that actually contains some drugs such as St. John’s Wart. I found this amusing because there are some drugs that I am forbidden to take, because they will have a bad chemical reaction with my attention deficit medications, and the outcome of that combination can result in life altering illnesses or even death. Want to know what the #1 drug that I am not permitted it take is? St. John’s Wart. But enough about all the medical information about this disability, now I’m going to tell you what life is like in my shoes. Many people don’t believe that ADD is the real deal. Hopefully you will understand what people who have a disability just like mine, go through every day. SLIDE 7- So what is it like to have ADD? Some people say the so-called syndrome doesnt even exist, but believe me, it does. Many metaphors come to mind to describe it. Its like driving in the rain with bad windshield wipers. Everything is blurred and youre speeding along, and its really frustrating not being able to see very well. Or, its like listening to a radio station with a lot of static and you have to strain to hear whats going on. Or, its like trying to build a house of cards in a dust storm. You have to build a something to protect yourself from the wind before you can even start on the cards. In other words its like being super-charged all the time. You get one idea and you have to act on it, and then, out of nowhere, youve got another idea before youve finished up with the first one, and so you go for that one, and pretty soon people are calling you disorganized and impulsive and all sorts of things that miss the point completely. Because you truly are trying really hard. Its just that you have all these invisible things pulling you this way, and it makes it really hard to stay on task. But there is a positive side to all this. Usually the positive doesnt get mentioned when people speak about ADD because people tend to focus on what goes wrong, or at least on what has to be somehow controlled. But often once the ADD has been diagnosed, and the child or the adult, with the help of teachers and parents or doctors and friends have learned how to cope with it, an untapped part of the brain comes into view. Suddenly the radio station is tuned in, the windshield is clear, and the sand storm has died down. And the child or adult, who had been such a problem, such a general pain in the neck to himself and everybody else, that person starts doing things hed never been able to do before. SLIDE 8- In places where most of us are blind, they can, if not see the light, at least feel the light, and they can produce answers apparently out of the dark. It is important for others to be sensitive to this sixth sense many ADD people have, and to encourage it. If the environment insists on rational thinking and good behavior from these people all the time, then they may never develop their creative side that makes them so unique. It can be tiresome to listen to people talk. They can sound so vague or as if they’re rambling on. But if you take them seriously and bear along with them, often you will find they are on the verge of startling conclusions or surprising solutions. Let me leave you by telling you that we need your help and understanding. We may make mess-piles wherever we go, but with your help, those mess-piles can be turned into a world of reason and art. So, if you know someone like me whos acting up occasionally and daydreaming and forgetting this or that and just not getting with the program, consider ADD before he or she starts believing all the bad things people are saying about them. The main point of this speech is that there is a more complex side to ADD than just a list of symptoms. ADD is a way of life, and until recently it has been hidden, even from those who have it. It is a way of living. Before the syndrome is diagnosed that way of living may be filled with pain and misunderstanding. After the diagnosis is made, one often finds new possibilities and the chance for real change. Research Papers on ADD - Attention Deficit DisorderTrailblazing by Eric AndersonStandardized TestingLifes What IfsBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenCapital PunishmentHip-Hop is ArtThe Spring and AutumnThe Hockey Game

The Commonwealth of Nations - African History

The Commonwealth of Nations - African History What is the Commonwealth of Nations? The Commonwealth of Nations, or more commonly just the Commonwealth, is an association of sovereign states consisting of the United Kingdom, some of its former colonies, and a few special cases. The Commonwealth nations maintain close economic ties, sporting associations and complementary institutions. When was the Commonwealth of Nations Formed? In the early twentieth century, the government of Britain was taking a hard look at its relationship with the rest of the British Empire, and particularly with those colonies populated by Europeans – the dominions. The dominions had reached a high level of self-government, and the people there were calling for the creation of sovereign states. Even amongst the Crown Colonies, Protectorates, and Mandates, nationalism (and the call for independence) was on the rise. The British Commonwealth of Nations was first noted in the Statute of Westminster on 3 December 1931, which recognized that several of the United Kingdoms self-governing dominions (Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa) were autonomous communities within the British Empire, equal in status, in no way subordinate one to another in any aspect of their domestic or external affairs, though united by a common allegiance to the Crown, and freely associated as members of the British Commonwealth of Nations. What was new under the 1931 Statute of Westminster was that these dominions would now be free to control their own foreign affairs – they were already in control of domestic affairs – and to have their own diplomatic identity. Which African Countries are Members of the Commonwealth of Nations? There are 19 African states who are currently members of the Commonwealth of Nations. See this Chronological List of African Members of the Commonwealth of Nations, or Alphabetical List of African Members of the Commonwealth of Nations for details. Is it Only ex-British Empire Countries in Africa Who Have Joined the Commonwealth of Nations? No, Cameroon (which had only partially been in the British Empire following World War I) and Mozambique joined in 1995. Mozambique was admitted as a special case (ie could not set a precedent) following democratic elections in the country in 1994. All its neighbors were members and it was felt that Mozambiques support against white-minority rule in South Africa and Rhodesia should be compensated. On the 28th November 2009 Rwanda also joined the Commonwealth, continuing the special case conditions under which Mozambique had joined. What Kind of Membership Exists in the Commonwealth of Nations? The majority of African countries who had been part of the British Empire gained independence within the Commonwealth as Commonwealth Realms. As such, Queen Elizabeth II was automatically the head of state, represented within the country by a Governor-General. Most converted to Commonwealth Republics within a couple of years. (Mauritius took the longest to convert – 24 years from 1968 to 1992). Lesotho and Swaziland gained independence as Commonwealth Kingdoms, with their own constitutional monarchy as head of state – Queen Elizabeth II was recognized only as the symbolic head of the Commonwealth. Zambia (1964), Botswana (1966), Seychelles (1976), Zimbabwe (1980), and Namibia (1990) became independent as Commonwealth Republics. Cameroon and Mozambique were already republics when they joined the Commonwealth in 1995. Did African Countries Always Join the Commonwealth of Nations? All those African countries still part of the British Empire when the Statute of Westminster was proclaimed in 1931 joined the Commonwealth except for British Somaliland (which joined with Italian Somaliland five days after gaining independence in 1960 to form Somalia), and Anglo-British Sudan (which became a republic in 1956). Egypt, which had been part of the Empire until 1922, has never shown an interest in becoming a member. Do Countries Maintain Membership of the Commonwealth of Nations? No. In 1961 South Africa left the Commonwealth when it declared itself a republic. South Africa rejoined in 1994. Zimbabwe was suspended on 19 March 2002 and decided to leave the Commonwealth on 8 December 2003. What Does the Commonwealth of Nations do for its Members? The Commonwealth is best known for the Commonwealth games which are held once every four years (two years after Olympic games). The Commonwealth also promotes human rights, expects members to meet a set of fundamental democratic principles (curiously enough spelt out in the Harare Commonwealth declaration of 1991, given Zimbabwes subsequent departure form the association), to provide education opportunities, and maintain trade links. Despite its age, the Commonwealth of Nations has survived without needing a written constitution. It depends upon a series of declarations, made at Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings.