Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in the US

Some people say that the United States of America has become an ADHD country in this 21st century. For example, the psychiatrist Young (2007) noted in his book ADHD Grown Up A Guide to Adolescent and Adult ADHD, that around 9 million teenagers and adults are diagnosed with ADHD (p.3). In fact, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder is one of the most common developmental and growing problems of teenage students. Some drugs are used on adolescents who have symptoms that significantly affect their performance at learning in order to fix them on the short run. However, ADHD teenagers’ parents and students have a tendency to depend on medications alone without using other interventions. It can bring negative effects such as ADHD medications’ physical side effects, the chance of altered personality and social isolation of teenagers with ADHD, and the economical inefficiencies that medications bring on individuals and society. This brings a problematic situation as time goes on because the teenagers will play important role in the future. To improve their academic performance, methods such as coaching, decision making behavior method, computer-based memory training, and non-medication intervention can be possible solutions. Among them, coaching should be used as the most realistic solution to improve academic performance of teenagers with ADHD because of its economic benefits, efficiency, and safety compared with other possible solutions. There are three problems with depending on ADHD drugs to improve academic performance of ADHD teenagers. Those that oppose ADHD medication believe that the stimulants for treatment of ADHD include Ritalin, Adderall, and Cylert are unsafe due to physical side effects and potential addiction. It is not... ... middle of paper ... ...urdening financially to the parents who have ADHD teenagers. Also, it is easy to get a service when they need help increasing their academic performance instead of visiting a doctor to get a prescription. Especially, getting coaching is essential for adolescents because they can develop relationships with their coaches. Moreover, Young explains, “[adolescents] can be provided assistance with several key issues relevant for nearly all clients with ADHD. These include: motivation, organization, task prioritization, hyperfocusing, developing routines, and establish exercise habits” (2007, p.267). Also, he added a disadvantage of using coaching that “some clients [teenagers and their parents] expect far too much from their coaches (2007, p.271). There is no perfect method to fix ADHD students’ weakness and lack of abilities to increase academic results in a short time.