Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is quite easily the most common and over-diagnosed problem for youth in the United States. With symptoms that include fidgeting, talking too much, and impulsiveness how can it not be? Of course, according to the American Psychiatric Association, the child needs to display at least six or more of the 16 different symptoms attributed to this disorder for at least six months before a diagnosis should be made. However, there is a little known fact that brings the increasing amount of youth diagnosed with ADHD into question; schools get federal money for each child that is diagnosed with a mental or learning disorder, including ADHD. This can lead to teachers, or other school officials, taking advantage to get more money for the school. The father of a boy, who was being unfairly targeted by his school, decided to create a website to inform other parents about the scam surrounding school officials telling parents their children may have ADHD and need to be put on medication to control the symptoms. The author and webmaster of the site, Forest Cunningham Sr., created his website, www.ADHDScam.com, in 2009, after the failed attempt by his son’s school to diagnose Forest Jr. with ADHD. The boy went through the first six months of school without any mention of problems, and he was earning straight A’s. Then, one day, he was sent home with a note stating he was being disruptive and needed to be separated from the rest of the class
This review was conducted on the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Health Center page developed by WebMD.com. The page will be evaluated on how practical and beneficial the webpage is on passing knowledge to its readers. This will be done by looking to see how well the site’s coverage of ADHD is, whether or not the information is really useful and current, and what the site’s objectives seem to be.
In today's fast-paced society, it seems that prescription drugs are a more reasonable and reliable solution for children and adults than diet and exercise for the "disease" known as ADHD. Rather than take the time to play with their children, or institute a proper diet, it seems that increasing numbers of parents would rather treat their children's unexplained zest for life with pills and doctors. While there are some explanations and reasons for the diagnosis of this popular disease, most children are improperly diagnosed, and are therefore taking unneeded medication. This medication is costly and it can be argued those who benefit from the sale of these drugs most are the
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is classified as a syndrome that is comprised of a variety of behaviors that often arises in early childhood and is characterized by extremely high levels of motor activity, difficulties with attention span and concentrating, and/or impulsive behaviors (Cook & Cash, 2011). It has been estimated in the United States that approximately 20% of children and adolescents display signs of a psychological or behavioral disorder according to Luthy, David, Macintosh, Eden, and Beckstrand (2015). ADHD is considered one of the more prevalent psychological disorders in children, with approximately 3-7% of school-age children with an ADHD diagnosis as mentioned by Luthy et al. (2015).
“ADHD is the most extensively studied pediatric mental health disorder, yet controversy and public debate over the diagnosis and medication treatment of the disorder continue to exist.” (Connor D., P.1, 2011) Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is often a debated subject when the method of treatment is being discussed because it has become a trending issue to over medicate children with ADHD. A fitting label for the trend is the anesthetization of our youth, caused by government agency expansion and pharmaceutical allowances, and blame parents not advocating for their child better.
Over the past couple of decades there has been a huge increase in the diagnosis and prescriptions given out for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. According to a news report done by USA Today over the past five years use of ADHD medications have risen 40% totaling 39.5 million individual prescriptions ("New findings," 2009). When statistics like this are seen it is only normal for someone to ask questions. People are becoming curious about the legitimacy of the disorder, and whether or not the treatments being given to individuals are appropriate. The argument seems to be strong on both sides of the fence, but the extensive research done on ADHD leaves it hard for one to believe that it is a made up disorder.
The core purpose of the CDC Website about Attention-Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) is to educate the public generally and then specifically to inform parents of children that might be suffering from ADHD. There are many unanswered questions about ADHD, and the CDC attempts to dispel some of the myths about the cause, diagnosis, and treatment of the disorder. They present highly logical information through the use of statistics and state by state comparisons. Additionally, there are a few appeals to one’s emotions, suggesting that parental negligence is not the cause of the disorder. Although the dry, mundane tone detracts from the appeal of the website, the inferential
Well-known investigative journalist and analyst commonly known as the “myth buster,” Michael Fumento discusses the controversy surrounding ADHD and its treatment in his article Trick Question: A Liberal Hoax Turns Out to Be True. His work primarily consists of the debunking of common misconceptions about topics such as abortion, vaccines, and ADHD, which is exactly what this article is composed of. Multiple misconceptions about ADHD are disproven in the article by the inclusion of facts that prove the authenticity of the disorder and the resultant need for medicinal treatment like Ritalin. In doing this, Fumento supports and presents the main claim of the article, which is that ADHD is a true disorder. Fumento’s purpose is to disprove false conservative ideologies surrounding ADHD and to convince readers that treatment is needed. He adopts a sarcastic and almost aggressive tone in order to convince
My entire life I’ve struggled with ADHD. I’m capable of all the work given to me but so many teachers don’t understand how much of a struggle it is for me to focus. It’s not just an excuse for me to be lazy, or get time extensions. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder more well known as ADHD defined by Mayo Clinic as “A chronic condition including attention difficulty, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness.” So basically people with this condition have a hard time focusing, thinking through decisions, and staying still. This is a real condition that affects thousands of children and adults in the united states. The Center for Disease Control and
After reading the articles Driven to Distraction and Lost in Translation, both from Today’s Parent magazine, I have learned many new things. I learned that it is sometimes not very easy to pick out a child with ADHD, even if it is your own child. It could take years to discover that a child has ADHD. It can be easily detected once the child has entered elementary school. One of the signs of ADHD is falling behind in school, or acting up and not being able to pay attention for long periods of time. This causes frustration for the child, the parents, teachers and the other students in the classroom. It is difficult for parents because they do not want to believe that their child has a disability. It is even harder
Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity (ADHD), the most common of the psychiatric disorders that appear in childhood, are often the subject of great concern on the
There was no biased information on this website, and met the expectations that the reader may have been looking for. There was no software to download, and the information is easily viewable, with no fees to view the article about ADHD. Exploring parents’ information needs more broadly and using a qualitative approach provided a more in-depth understanding of their specific needs and preferences and built upon the findings of previous quantitative studies. (Ahmed, Borst, Cheng Wei, & Aslani p.
ADHD is a condition which affects multiple areas of functioning. Because of the widespread diagnosis this disease keeps doctors, pharmaceutical businesses, and teachers employed. According to Diller (2008), the use of drugs like Ritalin is at rates never seen before in this country or anywhere else. Diller also states that “we medicate our children with psychiatric drugs ten or twenty times more than countries of Western Europe (pg50).” Many children are said to be made unhappy, often alienating themselves from parents and others. They are also much more unmotivated which is directly related to the use of ADHD medication. Parents lean on medication as an excuse to control their children; when most children do not even
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) uses its site to make the public aware of certain disorders, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). This website provides much information and knowledge on this disorder. There is sufficient information regarding ADHD for the reader that is seeking knowledge on this neurodevelopmental disorder. CDC's website provides the reader, or the parents of children with ADHD, with further understanding and knowledge concerning ADHD. The article puts forth the grave and serious facts on Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. CDC explains the three different kinds of ADHD with its causes, and symptoms. Symptoms of ADHD include: hyperactivity, excessive daydreaming, and making unnecessary
Children who are diagnosed with ADHD struggle with managing behavior in school environments. As research has shown, students have difficulty paying attention and can be disruptive in class. This often leads to a decline in their academics and can hurt future academic achievements. There are a number of tools, programs, contracts, and classes that are available to students with ADHD. Along with a lack of attention and an abundance of hyperactivity, “twenty to thirty percent of ADHD children have an associated learning disorder of reading, spelling, writing, and arithmetic” (Daley & Birchwood, 2010). It can be difficult, as a teacher, to manage a classroom with children with ADHD. It is important that teachers, parents, and students, understand the opportunities available to them to help the child succeed.
It’s normal for a child to occasionally forget to do their homework, get fidgety when they lose interest in an activity, or speak out of turn during class time. But inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and impulsivity are all signs of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ADHD is a neuro-development disorder and can start as early as three years old throughout adulthood. People with ADHD have trouble focusing on tasks and activities, this can have a negative impact on the individual in different ways. It can make the child feel alone, incompetent, and powerless and those that don’t understand this behavior only intensified their struggle. Family and schools have a major impact on the life of a child suffering with ADHD. Parents who