Affects of ADD/ADHD Robert was a typical two-year old boy always running and jumping around. In kindergarten, he couldn't remain seated during group time and moved between centers, leaving each a mess as he ran over peers. Third grade teachers began to talk to Roberts parents: he was blurting out answers and his desk was constantly crammed full of papers, toys, and books. In junior high, assignments done at home were never turned in and Robert received lunch detention for constant talking. He was late to class every day in high school because it was impossible to wake him. He couldn't find his keys most mornings. During college, he lost five cell phones and graduated with 2.65 grade point average. Robert was a typical ADHD child (Woodard 1). Much like Robert ADD/ADHD affects children in their everyday lives it can affect them socially and emotionally. ADD/ADHD has been around for many years and the symptoms haven’t changed if not treated the disorder can have a huge impact on a child's life and can make the teaching methods more difficult then they already are. History ADHD has been around for many years they began to recognize hyperactivity and inattentiveness in children in the early 1900s. Attention Deficit Disorder was listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical manual in 1980. Since 1994, this condition has been called “ADHD” (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) (Woodard 1). ADD/ADHD is a disorder characterized by distractibility, hyperactivity, impulsive behaviors, and the inability to remain focused on tasks or activities and is estimated to affect 3-9% of children, and afflicts boys more often than girls (Ford 1). ADHD has received much negative attention recently because of the huge increase in the numbers of chil... ... middle of paper ... ...rs including all the different symptoms a child can have and the teaching methods. A child with ADD/ADHD goes through these complications and like Robert they may deal with them everyday starting from when they are two years old all the way until being an adult. Works Cited American Psychiatric Association. (1994) Diagnostic and statistic manual of mental disorders (4th ed. Rev.) (DSM-IV-R). Washington DC:APA. "Answers to parent questions about ADD/ADHD." Exceptional Parent. 01 Oct. 2000: 60. eLibrary. Web. 12 Sep. 2012. Ford-Martin, Paula Anne, and Teresa G. Olde. “Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) The Gale Encyclopedia of medicine. 3rd ed. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 2006. 456-459. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 12 Sep. 2012. Woodard, Judith. “ADD/ADHD: Overview.” Issues: Understanding controversy and society. ABC-CLIO, 2012. Web. 11 Sept. 2012
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
Department of Health, A. H. S. (n.d.). A look at attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Retrieved from
“Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).” Tish Davidson, AM., Teresa G. Odle., and Laura Jean Cataldo, RN, Ed.D. The Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders. 3rd Edition. 2010.
Stolzer, PhD, J. M. (2007). The ADHD Epidemic in America. Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry, 9, 109-116.
Chandler, C. (2011). The Science of ADHD: A Guide for Parents and Professionals. New York:
While the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV) of the American Psychiatric Association) put forth a list of behaviors which predominantly fall in the category of ADD and/or ADHD, many researchers still maintain that there is no set way to diagnosis or develop a treatment program to these disorders which will be guaranteed to work. At the same time there is another set of researchers who maintain that these disorders actually do not exist at all. However, in the real world, parents and educators still continue to struggle with the task of coping with children who are hyperactive and who have very low attention span and whose behavior often interferes with schooling and family life. [Armstrong, 1997]
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 ...
Now after explaining what is ADD/ADHD we are ready to cover the controversy surrounding it. As this topic is vast and you may find a lot of different reasons to discredit this disorder and psychiatry in generally I would try to focus on the main and most prevalent discussions. Covering the criticism around the way of diagnosis, history, policies in the US and UK, the media and finally as a conclusion end this essay with my final humble opinion on the matter and hopefully have helped you to reach a decision.
National Institute of Mental Health (1999). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Retrieved April 2, 2003 from www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/adhd.cfm#adhd3
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.
American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: Fourth Edition. Arlington : American Psychiatric Association.
Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-IV-TR. (4th ed.). (2000). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
MEC 7501 Professional Article Review. Article Critique: Perceptions of Children with ADHD. Maddy La Voe Wilmington University Abstract This paper examines and analyzes the article “Exasperating or Exceptional”?