Richard Louv "Nature-Defict Disorder and the Restorative Environment"

In reading Richard Louv's "Nature-Defict Disorder and the Restorative Environment" I discovered how much nature can really affect one's mood and personality. Children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are now recommended to have more nature experiences to sooth their symptoms. "This research inspires use of the broader term ‘nature-defect disorder’ as away to help us better understand what many children experience, whether or not they have been diagnosed with ADHD”(Louv 2). Due to the examples Louv has given in this piece I believe “nature-defect disorder” would be an accurate way to describe the problem.

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Attention Deficit Disorder causes children to be restless, have trouble paying attention, listening, following directions, and focusing on tasks. This disorder could also cause children to be aggressive, antisocial, or may even end up failing academically. Usually to battle these conditions the patient would be prescribed methylphenidate (Ritalin) and ampheta

mines (Dexedrine). Methylphenidate has the same effect as amphetamine, methamphetamine, and cocaine. Traditional medicine, in my opinion, should never be the first choice, but knowing that these medications children are being provided are practically the equivalent to illegal drugs I believe is wrong. I understand in some extreme cases this could be necessary, but Attention Deficit Disorder is over-diagnosed and these medications are being overprescribed. The first step in trying to calm a patient with ADHD should be to expose them more to nature and if that does not work then move to traditional medicine. Having diagnosed children out in nature has been shown to make a difference in soothing them. Parents have taken notice that their troubled children really benefit from being outside immersed in nature, at beaches, forests, and rivers. Research has even been done showing that nature is more restorative than physically challenging activities.

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“In the era of test-centric education reform and growing fear of liability, many districts considered recess a waste of potential academic time or too risky” (Louv 1). The United State government has been pushing for higher test scores and considering eliminating recess to have more time for academics. This is ridiculous. Cutting physical education and recess has been linked to mental acuity and concentration. Children need recess and physical activity to keep them going, they can’t sit in a classroom for hours continuously learning, they need breaks, and they need to be outside having fun. If you have ever met a child you would know that keeping them cooped up in a room, sitting in the same place, doing the same thing for hours is a terrible idea. They lose focus very easily and have lots of energy that they need to expend, sitting in a room and learning doesn’t cut it. Children need time outside running around in nature.

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“Yet on this afternoon, I saw no evidence of con artist in their eyes. At least for a while—a day, a week, a year, or perhaps even a lifetime—they were changed” (Louv 14). The section this quote came from discussed pulling at-risk kids out of their urban environment and exposing them to nature. These kids had never been exposed to anything but city life and they were transported to a place where they were surrounded by mountains, forests, the ocean, and many different animals. There is not much detail on what the kids did there, but something must have changed them. Maybe just being away from the place where all these bad things happened to them, being away from a city that’s nothing but loud and crazy all the time and being put into a place of such beauty, showing them what life used to be like, what it should be like. That experience will be with them forever and probably did change their lives for the better.