There has been an ongoing debate about whether the mental disorder ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is over-diagnosed. ADHD is commonly diagnosed in people, more specifically children, who lack the ability to pay attention, are often disruptive, are hyperactive, and impulsive. A medical personnel or a psychologist diagnoses the children using a list of criteria. It is only in recent years that doctors have begun researching better and more effective ways to diagnosis patients using brain scans. It is because of this, that ADHD is over-diagnosed for several reasons: the different personalities that children can exhibit; parents not taking responsibility as parents; and the lack of proper ways to identify ADHD. Each child is specifically unique in his or her own way. As a result, each child learns and acts differently. When a child is hyperactive or does not pay attention, parents are often worried that their child may have ADHD. However, that child may be a highly active child by nature and in need of exercise and a way to burn of all of that energy. In addition, various research has been done on the effects of the child’s age upon entering the classroom. To research the effect age could potentially have on children, a study was done in British Columbia that focused on 930,000 children between the ages of 6 to 12, from the years 1997 to 2008. They found that those born in December, typically some of the youngest in the class, “were 30 percent more likely to be diagnosed and 41 percent more likely to be treated with ADHD medication that boys born in January” (Dotinga). The research also showed similar results for girls. Although, the article claims that the findings, “…don’t prove definitively that any kids are... ... middle of paper ... ...ot. Works Cited "Attention Deficit Disorder." - Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment by Medicalook. Medicalook. Web. 21 Mar. 2012. Dotinga, Randy. "Youngest Kids in Class More Apt to Get ADHD Diagnosis: Study." HealthDay Consumer News Service 05 Mar. 2012: Consumer Health Complete - EBSCOhost. Web. 21 Mar. 2012. Kanarek, Robin B. "Artificial Food Dyes And Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder." Nutrition Reviews 69.7 (2011): 385-391. Consumer Health Complete - EBSCOhost. Web. 21 Mar. 2012. Kirkpatrick, LaVonne. "ADHD Treatment And Medication: What Do You Need To Know As An Educator?." Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin 72.1 (2005): 19-29. Education Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 26 Mar. 2012. Peacock, Judith. "Chapter Three: How Is ADHD Diagnosed?." ADD & ADHD. 19. Capstone Press, 2002. Consumer Health Complete - EBSCOhost. Web. 26 Mar. 2012.
diagnosis entails more than this simple explanation. ADHD is a condition that must be evaluated
ADHD is a disorder that has been on the rise for several years now. The disorder is one that can cause many impairments to a child’s attention span, making it difficult to concentrate and to keep on task, especially on schoolwork. (Graham, 2007) The statistics have been growing ...
Sciutto MJ, Eisenberg M. Evaluating the evidence for and against the overdiagnosis of ADHD. J Atten Disord. 2007;11:106-113.
Robb, Adelaid(2008), ADHD and Substance Use: The Importance of Integrated Treatment, NAMI Beginnings, Issue 11, 2008.
Treatment. (2012, September 13). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved December 14, 2012, from http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/features/adhd-key-findings-play.html
Yulish, Noah. “Think Seriously About ADHD.” Healthy Living, Huffington Post. 17 Jun 2013. Web. 21 April 2014.
Yehle, A.K.; Wambold, Clark. "An ADHD Success Story: Strategies for Teachers and Students." Teaching Exceptional Children. 30 (1998): 6 8-13.
ADHD, or Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is one of the most common childhood disorders and can continue through adolescence and adulthood. There are many symptoms associated with ADHD but the most common include difficulty staying focused and paying attention, difficulty controlling behavior, and hyperactivity. Scientists are not exactly sure of what causes ADHD but they are more comfortable with the idea that a lot of different factors play a role in its development, such as, genes, environment, brain injuries, sugar, and food additives. The most widely used treatment is the drugs but this is not the only way to treat ADHD.
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, more commonly referred to as simply ADHD, is the most commonly diagnosed disorder among American children today. According to the National Institute on Mental Health an estimated 3 to 5 percent of school age children are affected by this disorder. (1) There are more diagnosed cases of ADHD of in the United States than there are anywhere in the world. The main symptoms of ADHD include "developmentally inappropriate levels of attention, concentration, activity, distractibility, and impulsivity." (1) While the number of people diagnosed with ADHD increases dramatically every year, there is still much about the disorder that is not understood. While scientists have deduced that ADHD originates in the brain, they still have many questions about the nature of it. The classification of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder has become quite a controversial topic in American society today. There are some who believe that by recognizing the symptoms associated with the disorder as ADHD; science is simply putting a band-aid on a problem that could be otherwise corrected with behavior modification.
Recent media coverage might lead one to believe that ADHD is something new, a nineties thing, some vogue malady that somehow explains our disaffected modern youth. Yet the hyperactive child has always been around. He was class clown, the kid in the back row who never shut up. He was the kid whom the teacher constantly sent out of the room or to the office. In the past, these were the children...
Children today seem to be plagued with a chronic psychiatric condition called Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, otherwise known as ADHD. Estimates suggest that this disorder is affecting 3% to 5% of the children in this country (Bussing 233). In the United States this means reference is being made to nearly 5 million ADHD children. ADHD isn¡¦t just some convenient or fancy term for what parents would call a child who misbehaves. This condition, recognized in previous years as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Minimal Brain Dysfunction, Minimal Brain Damage, Hyperkinesis and Hyperactivity, is a serious medical condition that is thought to cause inappr...
The purpose of this research was to describe and understand Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and the most effective treatment options that are available today. ADHD is a mental health disorder that affects 3-9% of the population in ways that, if left untreated, can wreak havoc on the mind of the sufferer. It makes concentration difficult, large tasks seem insurmountable, and causes impulsive and hyperactive tendencies. Fortunately, research and experiments have led to new and effective treatments to help those who suffer from this disorder (Dupaul 8). This research examined journal articles and internet sources on the topic to help unlock the complexities of the disorder through scientific research. It also was a way to separate the myths of the disorder from the truths, while discovering the causes, diagnosis methods, and best treatment alternatives to battle this prevalent disorder.
According to Maria Basile, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is classified as a disruptive behavior disorder characterized by ongoing difficulty with attention span, hyperactivity, and/or impulsivity. She points out that many children have challenged themselves to keep the disorder under control. She also shows that the children can be over-active or impulsive. Their development is not equal to an average child. Numerous of researches have been constructed in order to determine the percentage of children that posse ADHD. Basile shows statistics that reveal the percentage of the children who have ADHD, “The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) estimates that 3% to 5% of children have ADHD. Some experts, though, say ADHD may occur in 8% to 10% of school age children” (Basi...
Most parents do not want their child to be labeled as “Special” or “ADHD”. Why? These labels are used as in relating to a disorder. While, some parents would self-blame themselves, as being bad parents. Researchers have been working on the causes and triggers of this disorder, yet they have not found a cure. The cause for ADHD has no connection to bad parenting, schools or medicinal drug use, or sale.