How Society Views Children With Adhd
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HOW SOCIETY VIEWS CHILDREN WITH
ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER
I. Society Views
A. Society Views on Children with ADHD
B. How Society Affects the Development of the ADHD Child
Mental development
Physical development
3. Social development
II. Diagnosis
Reasons for Seeking Professional Diagnosis
How the Diagnosis is Made
Why the Diagnosis can be Incorrect
III. Treatment
Ritalin
Modern Therapy
Herbal Therapy
Mental Therapy
Diet Therapy
HOW SOCIETY VIEWS CHILDREN WITH
ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER
Andrew Todd
English III
April 24, 2001
WORKS CITED
Aronwitz, Robert, Making Sense of Illness: Science, Society, and Disease. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge
University, Press 1998.
Hartman, Thom, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, A Different Perception. Grass Valley: Mythical
Intelligence, Inc. 1997
Infotrac, From Hyperactive Children to ADHD Adults: Observations on the Expansion of Medical Categories.
Conrad, Peter and Deborah Potter, “Social Problems”, November 2000,
Kelly, Kate and Peggy Ramundo, You Mean Im Not Crazy, Lazy, Dumb or Stupid! A Self-Help Book for
Adults and Children with ADHD, Cincinnati: Tyrell and Jerem; Press, 1993.
Dr. Rufus McPhail Herring, Personal Interview, Monday, March 26th 2001.
HOW SOCIETY VIEWS CHILDREN WITH
ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER
When you hear someone say Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, a mental challenge, or ADHD what is the first thing you think? Do you think that person is lazy, dumb, crazy, or just plain stupid? ADHD is a mental challenge and we do not know what causes it, but we have formulated drugs that help to control the changes in behavior. Many people believe that ADHD is a behavior problem that can be “cured” with spanking and strict discipline. ADHD is not a behavior problem; it is a mental challenge, ADHD can be treated with the drug Methylphenidate, better known as Ritalin. Most people do not know how to detect ADHD, but with help from a book, ADHD: A Different Perception by Thom Hartman, one can read many ways to self-diagnose ADHD. In his book, Hartman gives many characteristics of ADHD. Many of these characteristics deal with attention span. The following is a list of the characteristics defined in his book:
Easily distracted
Short but very intense attention spans
Disorganization, with snap decisions
Distortions of time sense
Difficulty following directions
Exhibit symptoms of depression
Take extreme risks
Easily frustrated and impatient
Sense of underachievement
Difficulty getting organized
Chronic procrastination
Many projects going on all at once with trouble following through
Tendency to say what comes to mind
Resistive search for high stimulation
Easily bored
Trouble focusing
Creative, intuitive, highly intelligent
Trouble following proper procedure
Impulsive action verbally or physically
Tendency to worry needlessly
Tendency to scan the horizon looking for something to worry about
Alternating from one task to another
Sense of impending doom, insecure
Mood swings, depression, especially when disengaged from a personal project
Tendency to have an addictive behavior
Chronic self esteem problems
Inaccurate self observation
Family history of ADD or manic depression illness
More likely to abuse substance
These characteristics are all incorporated in the self-diagnosis of ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and ADHD. The American Psychiatric Associations/ DSM III-R defined a person having ADHD if they meet eight or more of these characteristics. Test yourself. If you express eight or more of these qualities you could be ADHD:
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