This is a thread about COVID-19, developmental issues, and ADHD. Epistemic status: moderately speculative
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Recently, I read Gabor Maté's book Scattered. He argues that attentional issues are a form of developmental delay.
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After all, we are not born with strong executive control. Instead, we learn how to pay attention to relevant/desired objects over time. This development is critically facilitated by the attunement and responsiveness of good-enough caregivers.
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(nb the developmental view of ADHD is consistent with its being significantly genetic - where genes predict who is more sensitive and likely to accrue an attentional deficit - and it is also compatible with medications often being effective)
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Maté was born Jewish in Hungary in 1944. Needless to say, his mother was preoccupied. There's a picture in the book of her holding him, he's a few months old, and his face looks completely hollow. Like a ghost who's himself haunted.
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Various sociocultural conditions can easily make it harder even for decent, well-meaning people to provide continuous attunement well.
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The stressful unfolding of COVID-19 that we're all watching on our phones for weeks & months is not going to do much for parental responsiveness.
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The collateral damage of this epidemic may very well include weaker-than-they-would-otherwise-have-been attentional capacities in the cohort that is now 10 or 15yo and younger.
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Replying to @amelapay
This is effectively the same thesis as "poverty causes IQ declines which are epigenetic and hereditary", I think? I also have a vague memory that that thesis was shot down?
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Replying to @MorlockP
I don't put any stock in epigenetics, esp as reported in MSM. But for any given thing, even strongly genetically mediated ones, it seems plausible to think there is a modest range you could move within, depending on life experience
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agreed on that 2nd par ; argue the same myself quite often anyway, neither agreeing nor disagreeing w you; just curious and watching
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