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South African Psychiatrists and Doctors have been exposed using the fake Conners

Want to know which psychiatrist has been caught using an assessment created by Novartis – the makers of Ritalin,  to “assist” with his ADD/ADHD diagnosis – click here for the Sunday Times Article

 

The Sunday Times has confirmed what is one of the biggest cons ever.  The so-called “experts” who (mis)diagnose and medicate our kids have been using the fake Conners.  What’s even more disgusting is the fact that that “Conners” they have been using is a set of questions which have been compiled by Novartis – the manufacturers of Ritalin!  How more unethical can you get?

Here is the link to the Sunday Times Article

Top Johannesburg physciatrist exposed for using dated, illegal Conners Rating Scales.

Disclosure: David Nefdt-Epstein is the owner of www.addnormal.org

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The Big South African ADD/ADHD Con(nners)

You have come to this website because you may be wondering if your child has been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD using assessment tools such as the Conners Rating Scale (CBRS) or Copeland Symptom Checklist etc.

If you have been given this form (see below) to fill in – you have probably been misled or worse deliberately lied to.  This version of the questionnaire has no valid diagnostic use and it is an illegal version.

Let me make my position clear.  I am against the unnecessary use of medication in the treatment of “concentration ” issues.  The diagnosis of ADD/ADHD is a subjective one.  When the experts lie – they need to be called out and yes, sanity needs to be brought back to what is becoming a wholesale industry of potentially long-term medication of our children.  There are three schools of thought –

  1. Parents who medicate
  2. Parents who won’t  and
  3. Parents who don’t know what to do.

I have spoken to enough parents to understand that they see the benefits of medicating their children and I respect this personal choice of theirs.  However, I do question the ethics of medicating children as young as 6  and when do they ever come off the meds?  This becomes the “new normal” for them.

If you have been given a copy of the form below for you or your child’s teacher to fill in – you have probably been misled by your healthcare practitioner.  Drop us an email conned@addnormal.org.za or fill in the form below and tell us your story.

David Nefdt-Epstein

This is the most common “fake” Conners Assessment being used (there are variations – if you are not certain, send us an email and we will try to assist.

 

 

 

The great Conners scam in South Africa. Has your child been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD using an illegitimate Conners’ Assessment / Rating Scale? If so please read this and share.

The Conners Rating Scale or Conners’ Assessment is frequently used to assist in the subjective clinical diagnosis to determine if your child has ADD/ADHD. However, in South Africa there are a few versions which are being used BUT there is only one correct way to administer the Conners’ Assessment – using a legally obtained version from an authorised reseller of the Conners Assessment pack, such as JVR Psychometrics (https://jvrafricagroup.co.za/catalogue/assessment/conners-3/), Pearson (https://www.pearsonclinical.com/…/conners-3rd-edition-conne…) or from the copyright holders directly (https://www.mhs.com/MHS-Assessment?prodname=conners3)

How to identify if you have been given an illegal test:

1. If you have been given the attached 37 point questionnaire – in my opinion, you are a potential victim of medical malpractice. Not only is this version (and other similar ones) a direct breach of the MHS (www.mhs.com) copyright, but they serve NO DIAGNOSTIC purpose whatsoever.   It is not the full authorised Conners’ Assessment.

2. There is no copyright notice indicating that copyright belongs to Multi-Health Systems Inc. (www.mhs.com)

3. Be highly suspicious if you as the parent/ guardian have not been given a form to complete, especially divorced parents.

Sadly, the very same people who are asked to fill in this illegitimate forms – the teachers themselves – are clueless (or complicit), because if they knew what they were doing, they would refuse to fill in these illegitimate forms or advise parents accordingly.

The correct Conners’ Assessment comprises of either a ‘Long Form Version’ or a more concise ‘Short Form Version’. If you are using a legal Conners’ Assessment it will clearly state what version you are using.

There are 3 sets of questionnaire in a Connors’ Assessment (CBRS) Pack :
– 1 for Teachers (Long Form and Short Form Versions ) ,
– 1 for Parents (Long Form and Short Form Versions ) and;
– 1 for your child if they are old enough to self-assess.

What to do?

You have the right of recourse against your medical practitioner through a complaint to The Healthcare Professionals Council of South Africa (HPCSA).

But let us know too so that we can place pressure on them to act.   If you suspect that you your child has been “diagnosed” using the illegitimate Conners Assessment ask your doctor the following questions:

  1. What is the version of Conners Assessment are you using?
  2. Is the version legal? i.e. It has been paid for and is licensed
  3. Most importantly, you should demand, an official Conners’ Report which will have what are known as “T-scores” in it.

 

PS please respect copyright, the image we use on this site is from TrendyCovers.com