Recently, we had a prospective client from China — a mom with a son in junior high who is, according to her, being singled out by her teachers because he is a little bit too “sociable” and “active.” “He is such a sunshine boy!” the mother said. Hmm… My professional instinct automatically activated a “red” alert: could it be ADHD?

The logical thing for us to do was to arrange for a full scale assessment by a registered psychologist. If it was purely an academic concern such as reading and/or math, I could have easily done a screening in my office, but the “problem” that was being described had a “behavioral” dimension. So, I called up our trusted psychologist friend who agreed to help me out on short notice. Most psychologists would make you wait for a long time, so I did my prospective client a big favor by lining up an assessment for her immediately!

Unfortunately, all my efforts came to naught. In the course of our first meeting with the prospective client, it became apparent that this mom was not looking for a diagnosis — she was looking for a confirmation from us that her son is, indeed, an “angel” and that the problems were, in fact, the teachers’!

Sorry! I am not “Dr. Feel Good.” So I insisted: the first step to take was to have the boy go for an assessment by our psychologist friend. If the mother’s certainty of her boy’s “angelic” status was valid, then the psychologist’s report would more or less confirm that.

In today’s China, many couples only have one child…and, it is usually a son. This has created a host of societal problems in China. Unfortunately, when people emigrate to Canada, they also take their social problems with them.

The story of “sunshine boy” will surely not end here. More drama will likely follow, featuring irate teachers and a defensive mom and dad.

Ah, what can I say? May God bless the hardworking teachers in Vancouver! Defend them, I plead. Amen.

Posted by Dr. Winnifred Tang

Tags: ADHD, Dyslexia diagnosis, ESL student, Parenting
Posted in Blog