Arthur Lavin, MD, FAAP

Dear Colleagues:

School and attention seem to cause more concern to parents, and adults, every year.

For school, more and more children appear to be struggling to succeed. What is driving this perception? First of all, is it true? Second, what sorts of struggles are actually experienced by students and observed by teachers and parents? Over time, ADHD (in case you’ve somehow avoided this, “Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder”) has emerged as the go-to explanation for many of these struggles.

It is easy to see that ADHD plays a dominant role in explaining why children struggle in school. But what is ADHD (if it actually is one thing) and how did it attain its dominance?

For attention more broadly, a rising level of concern has been applied to adults well out of school. Are disorders of attention causing large numbers of adults to struggle with being effective at work and in relationships? Is ADHD to blame for these difficulties too?

In the past we’ve looked at a seemingly similar situation, the diagnosis of “depression,” with fascinating presentations by Peter Whitehouse and by Jonathan Sadowsky. Friday we’ll step beyond our faculty to hear from a prominent local pediatrician, Dr. Arthur Lavin. He will join us to discuss some of the challenges that should be considered when trying to help a child who is struggling in school, going beyond the single answer of “ADHD.”

That will begin with a look at trends in reported rates of diagnosis of ADHD over recent history. Then we will look beyond the numbers to try to understand the power of a metaphor in fashioning approaches to explaining phenomena in medicine. With this work in mind, we will expand considerations of causation for people struggling with attention, and think about how complex, and essential, the functions of both attention and distraction are.

Then we will be able to look at the current definition of ADHD, the current approaches to evaluation, and develop a better path, the current policy of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The discussion will close by considering possible interventions, including a look at the use of stimulants.

In-Person and Virtual Attendance

We will meet this week in one of our alternate locations, Room LL06 on the lower level of Kelvin Smith Library.

When you enter the library, instead of walking up the spiral staircase or taking the elevator up one floor, please go down the staircase or take the elevator down one floor. Our room, LL06, is entered from a series of doors on the right hand side of the corridor opposite the elevator.

We continue also to offer the meetings on Zoom. We do require pre-registering so as to avoid “zoom-bombing.” The pre-registration link is posted below.

The discussion begins at 12:30 p.m., but the room should be open no later than Noon. We try to have beverages and refreshments set up soon after that. Participants should be able to sign on to Zoom also by Noon. But please remember not much will be happening online until the talk begins at 12:30 pm. Please also be prepared to show identification when entering Kelvin Smith Library.

Zoom participants should speak up when asked for questions or comments, or submit thoughts through Zoom’s chat function. Please keep yourself muted until you are choosing to speak.

Each week we will send out this newsletter with information about the topic. It will also include a link to register (for free) for the discussion. When you register, you will automatically receive from the Zoom system the link to join the meeting. If you do not get the newsletter, you should also be able to get the information each Monday by checking http://fridaylunch.case.edu Then if you choose you can use the contact form on that website to request the registration link.

This week’s Zoom link for registration is:

https://cwru.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEofuGoqzgoGtAekTfl9MopZkgpgcYHGej1

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Please also e-mail padg@case.edu if you have questions about arrangements or any suggestions. Or call at 216 368-2426 and we’ll try to get back to you.

Best wishes for safety and security for you and yours,

Joe White
Luxenberg Family Professor of Public Policy and Director, Center for Policy Studies

About Our Guest

Arthur Lavin, MD is a retired Pediatrician and Immediate Past Chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics committee charged with drafting policies pertaining to the psychological and social health of America’s children. He graduated from Harvard College and earned his MD from Ohio State University. He went on to complete a residency in pediatrics and fellowship in newborn medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital. After about two decades with the Lahey Clinic he founded Advanced Pediatrics in Beachwood, from which he retired in 2023.

* Kelvin Smith Library requires all entrants to show identification when entering the building, unless they have a university i.d. that they can magnetically scan. We are sorry if that seems like a hassle, but it has been Library policy for a while in response to security concerns. Please do not complain to the library staff at the entrance, who are just doing their jobs.

Schedule of Friday Lunch Upcoming Topics and Speakers:

April 26: What Does It Mean for Us? Local Needs and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. With Howard Maier FAICP, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Political Science.