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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Walden sets town halls on Friday 10 things to know for Tuesday Jackson County looks at compensation for wolf kills Southern Oregon Speedway race track lease veers off course Since You Asked: Medford casino meeting is open to all Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency Services, Feb. 3 Woman sentenced for harboring Jackson County Jail escapee Downtown Grounds burglarized White City house fire displaces couple Emergency Services, Feb. 2 Politics and Elections Walden sets town halls on Friday Amid rising scrutiny, governor says fiancee won't have role in administration Ashland aims for diversity, but numbers show shortfall Kent Bush: The keys to decoding the State of the Union address Oregon Legislature convenes, session starts Feb. 12 Education SOU board names officers, committees SOU students targeted in Drive Less campaign Parent files discrimination complaint against Ashland schools Some gains, some losses Medford reconsiders full-day kindergarten Environment Jackson County looks at compensation for wolf kills Commissioners won't object to BLM road closures Mt. 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Four companies will be pitching their plan to you Medford airport traffic flies to new heights Agriculture Nine companies pitch investment opportunities in Medford Darigold to shutter Medford plant, putting 29 out of work Opinion Latest Our View: No reason to hurry pot-tax vote Letters to the Editor, Feb. 3 Guest Opinion: Health professionals don't always act that way Letters to the Editor, Feb. 2 Our View: Wood-fired steam plant at SOU makes sense Editorials Our View: No reason to hurry pot-tax vote Our View: Wood-fired steam plant at SOU makes sense Other Views: Nothing to see here; move along Our View: Improving graduation rates isn't easy Our View: Revving up the gas tax debate Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Feb. 3 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 2 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 1 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 30 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 29 Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Health professionals don't always act that way Help wanted: The Medford School District needs you Guest Opinion: Market forces work against LNG project's success Guest Opinion: More reasons to oppose gas pipeline A fair shot for all: addressing our low-wage crisis Lifestyle Latest stories Community blog: Bone broth on hand makes for effortless flavor Shayne Looper: More wedding equals less marriage? Dr. Elaine Heffner: What’s in a name? Food for Thought: Sweet potatoes are a versatile vegetable Blog: HAIKU MONDAY: On Monday Mourning and Worst Play Ever Food Community blog: Bone broth on hand makes for effortless flavor Food for Thought: Sweet potatoes are a versatile vegetable Gail Ciampa: Spinach contains an alphabet of vitamins Kitchen Call: Don’t wait to get your game-day wings Community blog: Raise a cup of bone broth to better health Home and Garden Home Help: 3 upgrades sure to turn kitchen time into quality time Dear Monty: Is a home ‘trade-in’ a good idea? Buying a home? Consider its walkability Home Help: 5 ways to revamp your outdoor living space this year Paint a room or two in a weekend Health Community blog: Five "Must Haves" Health Watch: Don’t let your fitness resolutions fizzle out Community blog: Toxic Love: How to Identify an Abusive Relationship Community blog: A Higher Walk To Better Health HealthStyle: Are you in an unhealthy relationship? Hiking Biking Faith Religion briefs Religion briefs, Jan. 23 Religion briefs Old stained-glass windows face threats Milestones and Achievements 50 years and counting: Bulebar Wedding: Lindsey-Maria Rios New arrivals Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Camelot presents Playwright Richard Manley's 'A Question of Words' Here it is! Live Music in Local Clubs Terrapin Flyer plays Historic Ashland Armory Eric Johnson and Mike Stern at The Rogue Theatre Alcyon Massive and Frankie Hernandez play acoustic at Howiee's Theater Camelot presents Playwright Richard Manley's 'A Question of Words' Classics, premiers highlight '15 season for OSF Randall Theatre presents playwright Charles Ludlam's comedy "The Mystery of Irma Vep" Roy Orbison tribute hits high note Thanks for the Memories Theatre presents 'Cardenio' Music Here it is! Live Music in Local Clubs Jesse Cook plays the Craterian Theater Shybo Torres plays South Stage Cellars Terrapin Flyer plays Historic Ashland Armory Trio Valtorna plays SOU Music Hall Community Events Comedian Susan Westenhoefer pulls no punches Paula Poundstone performs at the Craterian Len Dickson's 'Fall Harvest' to grace Belle Fiore wine label A look at the life and vision of Martin Luther King Jr. Ty Barnett and Ian Harris are 'Divided' Dining Sandwiches and burgers are hits at The Rogue Chef The Vine offers a taste of Italy Cheeseburgers on the cheap Valley View — It's all in the family Patty Groth's Morning Glory is still a delight Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW Jackson County looks at compensation for wolf kills ... Our View: No reason to hurry pot-tax vote ... Guest Opinion: Health professionals don't always act that way ... Jackson County looks at compensation for wolf kills ... Our View: No reason to hurry pot-tax vote ... Guest Opinion: Health professionals don't always act that way ... Dr. Elaine Heffner: What's in a name? Comment By Dr. Elaine Heffner More Content Now MailTribune.com By Dr. Elaine Heffner More Content Now Posted Feb. 3, 2015 @ 12:01 am By Dr. Elaine Heffner More Content Now Posted Feb. 3, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News A recent conversation with the mother of a middle-school child brought up a familiar theme. Her child was not having any specific problems in school but seemed not focused – or unable to focus – on schoolwork. Actually, that was the mother’s question: Is the child just not attending as she should, or does she have some difficulty that is keeping her from focusing on her work? In this tech age often parents turn to Google for the answer. Usually, they look for a name to give the collection of non-specific behaviors about which they are concerned, and hoping the name will lead to an explanation of what it is and what to do about it. Or perhaps the child should be evaluated by a professional expert who will give them a name and a solution. We all have been educated into the medical model, which is first you find out what is wrong – the diagnosis – and that then will tell you what to do about it. This approach makes sense for many diseases but does not work so well when dealing with behaviors rather than fevers. It is true that a change in a child’s behavior is often what tells us that something is physically amiss. The explanation for the symptoms then can usually be found in a physical examination or blood tests. But behavior such as that of the child described by the mother earlier cannot be explained through the same method. Much of the time, neither what the problem is nor its cause can be explained to anyone’s satisfaction. Some variation of difficulty focusing or paying attention in school is a common concern of parents and teachers these days. There are many reasons this is happening. Children have always been restless in school, some more than others. But schools now have less tolerance for a developmental spectrum. What this means is, children develop in different ways at different ages and do not all function the same way at the same time. These differences need to be addressed educationally. Over-crowded schools and larger classes make it harder to meet individual needs. Also, greater numbers of children are behind expectations and the effort in education now is to bring everyone up to a certain standard. The result is the demand for a greater degree of conformity in meeting those standards, which in turn has resulted in greater demands made of children’s behavior – in other words, less tolerance for any lapses in focus or attention. Added to this mix is the fact that schools have allowed less time for physical activity because of the contemporary pressure on academics. Finally, attitudes toward authority have changed in the culture at large. This is reflected in child rearing as well, which at this time essentially is non-authoritarian. Parents want children to be respectful but children are accustomed to speaking out and that doesn’t always work in an “orderly” classroom. All of these factors have led to children being labeled too quickly, the implication being that the problem is in the child. At times, that might be the case but it should be the last thing to consider rather than the first. The focus needs to be on helping the child in the specific situation rather than on naming the problem. Giving it a name doesn’t help anything. A recent newspaper article about consumer demand for listing food ingredients in various products had the headline, “Many Labels, Little Clarity.” This seemed to be a perfect description of the current rush to label children’s behavior without understanding all the factors involved. Elaine Heffner, LCSW, Ed.D., has written for Parents Magazine, Fox.com, Redbook, Disney online and PBS Parents, as well as other publications. She has appeared on PBS, ABC, Fox TV and other networks. Dr. Heffner is the author of “Goodenoughmothering: The Best of the Blog,” as well as “Mothering: The Emotional Experience of Motherhood after Freud and Feminism.” She is a psychotherapist and parent educator in private practice, as well as a senior lecturer of education in psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College. Dr. Heffner was a co-founder and served as director of the Nursery School Treatment Center at Payne Whitney Clinic, New York Hospital. And she blogs at goodenoughmothering.com. By Dr. Elaine Heffner More Content Now MailTribune.com By Dr. Elaine Heffner More Content Now Posted Feb. 3, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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