Persuasive Essay On Adhd In Children

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There has been a steady increase in children that are being diagnosed and given Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) medication in the United States. Children in the United States are being over diagnosed and over medicated. One in seven boys in the United States is diagnosed with ADHD and given ADHD drugs before the age of 18. Meaning twenty percent of boys in America will be diagnosed with ADHD and a significant percentage of them have been misdiagnosed. Given drugs to treat a psychiatric condition that they do not even have. If a child is diagnosed with ADHD it is likely that they will be prescribed a stimulant. The most common is Ritalin or Adderall; the newer ones are Vyvanse and Concerta. All of these drugs are classified as a Schedule II by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). A Schedule II drug is classified as having a “high potential of abuse” and "with use potentially leading to severe psychological or physical dependence." In addition to the Schedule II drugs that are given to treat ADHD this classification is also use for cocaine, methamphetamine, Demerol, and …show more content…

The No Child Left behind Act of 2001 gives incentives to states whose students scored well on standardized tests. The result of this laws has provided incentive for the schools to have children diagnosed and treated. Children with the diagnosis of ADHD often get more time to take tests and in some school districts the tests taken by ADHD kids do not even have to be included in the overall average. An example is that children with an ADHD diagnosis might exempt a low-achieving student from lowering the district's overall achievement ranking. This would help in ensuring that the school district did not receive federal sanctions for scoring low. American Psychological Association showed evidence that ADHD diagnoses can vary according to demographics and even education

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