The Pros And Cons Of ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, commonly known as ADHD, is the center for a lot of controversy within the medical field. The common argument pertains to whether ADHD is over diagnosed or underdiagnosed. Evidence can be applied to support both sides, but when it pertains to children, studies tended to attest that ADHD is typically over diagnosed. The reasoning for this can be generalized around one idea: misdiagnosis. Symptoms that appear to be ADHD are: inattention, which can be noticed within a child’s school work; hyperactivity, noticing that a child has a hard time sitting still; and impulsivity, referring to frequent interruptions and lack of patience. Considering there isn’t a biological test to confirm suspicions of ADHD, these

This concept mainly appears in children who suffer from a preexisting disability. In this sense, children who have ADHD are not able to receive the necessary treatment they need. Without that treatment, whether it be medication, therapy, etc. they will not be able to perform in school and other activities in the way that people without ADHD can. In order to be able to make an assumption about the preceding arguments, it is important to focus on the negatives of both over diagnosing and underdiagnosing ADHD. Prescribing children medication that they don’t need could cause a lot of problems; but at the same time, not treating children for their disorder will significantly impact their ability to

Professionals tend to base a lot of their reasoning for diagnosis off of comparison to children within the same age group (Thomas and Batstra). This is due to the idea that everyone should be performing at a similar level when they have the same amount of education. Symptoms of ADHD are most prominent when looking at young boys(Thomas and Batstra). A research paper, designed to compare generations and diagnoses, concluded that medication treatment is used significantly less by older children (Elder). Based on this information, it is evident that the viewpoint on ADHD has changed over time; meaning, it is more common now than it ever has been before. The reasoning behind this has to do with the idea that young children appear to show symptoms of ADHD, but in reality, they are just immature. With this in mind, it is estimated that approximately 20 percent of the 4.5 million children identified as having ADHD have been misdiagnosed