ADHD has been a debated disorder for about 30 years. There is, up to this day, inefficient research that supports biological causes for this disorder. Because the symptoms include inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, which are all common in children, it is reasonably debatable when asking the question, “Is ADHD a real disorder?”. However, similar to other disorders, ADHD is defined by it’s symptoms by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. The debate in these articles goes further than just questioning how real this disorder is. Both articles go into detail about the medication and/or treatment for this disorder and the side effects that either exist or do not. This debatable disorder is especially important to psychology because child
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According to their article, three to five percent of school aged children are affected by ADHD. When diagnosing children, there are a set of requirements that must be fulfilled. The behavior must be inappropriate in that child’s age group and the symptoms must have appeared before the age of seven for a continuous six months. There are also important factors that could rule out ADHD and be a reason for the child’s behavior. According to studies, focusing on the frontal lobes, the causes appear to come from genetics and neurobiology. Environmental factors, however, could influence the intensity of ADHD symptoms. Studies also showed that medication management alone and a combination, of both medication and behavioral treatment, for an extended period of time are the most effective forms of treatment. On the other hand, Sam Timimi and Nick Radcliffe, two UK authors, present their arguments for why ADHD is not a real disorder. These two authors analyze the Western culture, North America, and how it ties in with the big question, “Is ADHD a real disorder?”. ADHD was voted as a disorder in 1980 when the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual was being reviewed. Children as young as two are being treated with medicine that, according to this article, could have similar chemical properties as cocaine. They believe that the criteria for diagnosing is subjective and should not be. This allows any one to …show more content…
First off, children, whose brains are not fully developed, should not be prescribed medication whose properties are not completely understood. In the NIMH article, it is clearly stated that medicine does not cure, it only keeps the symptoms under control, “But medications don’t cure ADHD; they only control the symptoms on the day they are taken (Pg. 7)”. Let alone prescribed medication for a disorder that is diagnosed subjectively, “. . .diagnosis is based on the subjective opinion of the diagnoser (Pg. 9)”. Behavior rating scales are one of the main forms of evaluating potential ADHD patients. According to Timimi and Radcliffe, this scale is based off of questions using words like, seldom, never, and often. This scale continues to support the large gap already existing when it comes to diagnosing patients because it gives patterns rather than specific, experience-influenced answers. Timimi and Radcliffe make a very interesting point about the tolerability of different types of teachers, “. . . studies reporting that specialist teachers tend to be more tolerant of misbehavior and judge students’ behaviors as less deviant than general class teachers (Pg. 10)”. Thus, supporting the subjectivity of ADHD. Another huge factor that could be feeding this ongoing debate is money. Drug companies could be supporting ADHD in order for their business to grow, “The main pro- medication pro-ADHD consumer support
According to their article, three to five percent of school aged children are affected by ADHD. When diagnosing children, there are a set of requirements that must be fulfilled. The behavior must be inappropriate in that child’s age group and the symptoms must have appeared before the age of seven for a continuous six months. There are also important factors that could rule out ADHD and be a reason for the child’s behavior. According to studies, focusing on the frontal lobes, the causes appear to come from genetics and neurobiology. Environmental factors, however, could influence the intensity of ADHD symptoms. Studies also showed that medication management alone and a combination, of both medication and behavioral treatment, for an extended period of time are the most effective forms of treatment. On the other hand, Sam Timimi and Nick Radcliffe, two UK authors, present their arguments for why ADHD is not a real disorder. These two authors analyze the Western culture, North America, and how it ties in with the big question, “Is ADHD a real disorder?”. ADHD was voted as a disorder in 1980 when the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual was being reviewed. Children as young as two are being treated with medicine that, according to this article, could have similar chemical properties as cocaine. They believe that the criteria for diagnosing is subjective and should not be. This allows any one to …show more content…
First off, children, whose brains are not fully developed, should not be prescribed medication whose properties are not completely understood. In the NIMH article, it is clearly stated that medicine does not cure, it only keeps the symptoms under control, “But medications don’t cure ADHD; they only control the symptoms on the day they are taken (Pg. 7)”. Let alone prescribed medication for a disorder that is diagnosed subjectively, “. . .diagnosis is based on the subjective opinion of the diagnoser (Pg. 9)”. Behavior rating scales are one of the main forms of evaluating potential ADHD patients. According to Timimi and Radcliffe, this scale is based off of questions using words like, seldom, never, and often. This scale continues to support the large gap already existing when it comes to diagnosing patients because it gives patterns rather than specific, experience-influenced answers. Timimi and Radcliffe make a very interesting point about the tolerability of different types of teachers, “. . . studies reporting that specialist teachers tend to be more tolerant of misbehavior and judge students’ behaviors as less deviant than general class teachers (Pg. 10)”. Thus, supporting the subjectivity of ADHD. Another huge factor that could be feeding this ongoing debate is money. Drug companies could be supporting ADHD in order for their business to grow, “The main pro- medication pro-ADHD consumer support