Re: (TwoQuestions)

Date: 21 Jun 2003 04:31:11 GMT
Newsgroups: misc.writing.screenplays
Size: 2,121 bytes

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>1) What is Attention Deficit Disorder?
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Interesting side note to this thread. I know a lady who adopted a child with
FAS - Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. The kid had severe ADD (Not the 'Johnny is
loaded up on sugar, so let's dope him into behaving ADD' -- which, IMHO, does
indeed accound for a large percentage of ritalin perscriptions...)
The school was demanding that the kid be placed on ritalin, and threatened to
involve DCFS if the lady didn't put her daughter on the drugs. But, She
noticed something interesting -- the little girl who was essentially unable to
learn in school could listen to any song on the radio once, and repeat the
lyrics perfectly. So, the kid wasn't just stupid, there was obviously some
hope.
In a last ditch effort before agreeing to putting the kid on meds, the lady
created an after school youth group for the kid and her friends. They do sign
language performances of popular music. Almost immediately after startingf
Song of Sign, the girl was able to pay some attention in class, and generally
function semi-normally. She does have FAS, so she probably won't ever lead a
completely normal life, but she is getting farther than the doctors ever
expected.
Nobody is exactly sure why Song of Sign works, but apparently, it resets some
wires in the brain to link up the physical activity, audio processing, and
abstract thought bits of the brain.
so, anyhow, if any of you know of young kids with some problems, you may want
to consider a similar improvisational therapy suited to whatever the kid does
best. If anybody wants to get in touch with the lady, lemme know. Also, for
normal kids, SoS does make a bitchin' cool performance piece, and IMHO should
just be a part of all elementary school recitals... May as well teach the
little buggers something useful in addition to music. :)
right, anyhow, OT. maybe one of you will be inspired to write a movie.
------------------
Woooogy
I have to go back in time to pretend to be myself when I tell myself to tell
myself, because I don't remember having been told by myself to tell myself. I
love temporal mechanics.