Dr. Umar Johnson is a Certified School Psychologist who practices in the state of Pennsylvania and lectures throughout the United States. His expertise includes the evaluation of kids in school between the ages of 3 - 21 to determine if they have learning disabilities that may relegate them to special education classes.
His main focus is the modification of challenging behavior that is exhibited by young African American boys that lead to behavior disorder diagnosis and excessive medication. Dr. Johnson is one of the foremost and respected medical professionals when diagnosing African American boys for "Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD".
The ex-principal turned Doctor explains that when the "H" was added to the "ADD" it meant that this disorder should be diagnosed and treated by doctors with medication such as "Riddlin". During his research and examinations of elementary and middle school African American boys, Dr. Johnson found some very alarming statistics.
First of all, once a child is diagnosed as suffering from ADHD, more than likely they are given Riddlin and placed in a special education class. Dr. Johnson has found that many of the young African American Boys that he examined did not suffer from ADHD but instead were harboring disciplinary problems for the following reasons:
1. No father in the home and/or single parent home
2. Most of the teachers in elementary and middle school are
female and find that these aggressive young boys are too
tough to deal with and intimidating.
3. White female teachers had a much more difficult time dealing
with these young boys than African American female
teachers due to the differences in lifestyles and exposure to
the more aggressive style of parenting in African American
families. Black parents tend not to negotiate with 3 year olds.
4. White teachers are more apt to diagnose African American
boys with ADHD, recommend to their parents that they be
placed on Riddlin, and enrolled in special education classes.
This is where Dr. Johnson not only loses his cool but becomes more aggressive and demanding in his remarks. He states, "under no circumstances does any teacher White or Black have the right to tell a parent that their child suffers from ADHD. The teacher does not have the knowledge, training, nor the authority to make that call. This decision can only be made by a medical professional."
To make matters worse, most of the teacher conferences that are conducted to discuss discipline in schools, are funded and sponsored by the medical and pharmaceutical industries, As Dr. Johnson echoes Mad Man's mantra, "it is always about the money"
Mad Man is sure that this misdiagnosis covers all kids when a teacher is too lazy or unqualified to control her classroom, but when this miscarriage of judgment is perpetrated on young African American boys, it is the beginning of a very negative lifestyle.
These youngsters rebel because they are taken out of the mainstream school environment and in most cases act out even more. Then comes multiple "time outs", then suspensions, and ultimately expulsion. If you were to interview the thousands of African American men in prison, more than likely you will find that their problems all started in early childhood development and possibly a missed diagnosis.
It is critical for all parents to get their young boys checked out by a Doctor before allowing a teacher to place him in a special education class. Also, if you are not happy with one doctor, seek a second opinion because as evidenced by the actions of today's society, the lifespan of an African American man is quite short.
Dr. Umar Johnson is on a mission to make sure that all kids are properly diagnosed when they are viewed as too aggressive for teachers to handle because their actions may be because they are young, energetic boys who are accustomed to playing hard at home with friends and siblings.
Respond privately to Mad Man at: Observationsofamadman@verizon.net
Mad Man
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