ADD
Attention Defecit (Hyperactivity) Disorder

ADD has become the most widely diagnosed psychiatric disorder in America among children today. There are many controversies about whether it is a mental disorder or a personality type. Most doctors suggest that it is mental disorder because it can be diagnosed and drugs can be prescribed. Scientific studies have yet to find the cause for ADD and all of the exact symptoms that accompany each different case. For scientists to diagnose the disorder they look at family history, observe behavior, give certain tests, and observe a child's behavior in a normal setting. Many studies reveal the frustration that doctors have searching for a flaw in the brain causing the disorder. As one prominent neurologist said, "The more you study the hyperactivity or ADD, the less certain you are about what it is, or whether it is a thousand different situations all called by the same name." (http://www.nmia.com/~garcia/healthy/add.html, p.1)

Here are some symptoms that accompany a child diagnosed with ADD:

Inattention

Hyperactivity
Impulsity

ADD students create severe problems in the classroom. They tend to lack an attention span which only leads them to distracting other "normal" students. They tend to talk out when not called upon and end up setting poor example for the rest of the students. Not all of these symptons are apparent but a large majority are apparent in diagnosed patients.

ADD is a disease that seems to be much more common among boys than girls. Boys are afflicted up to three times as often as girls. According to the NIH, the frightening statistic is that it is estimated that there is at least one child in each classroom that is affected by ADD and that three to five percent of our children have ADD.

There have been studies done frequently in regard to the academic achievement of students with ADD. They end up being behind other children because they can not concentrate on the material covered in class. The most common treatment used for children with ADD is to medicate them to help educate them. Medication is the leading treatment for ADD/ADHD patients. Ritalin has been called the "wonder drug" because it has had some positive effects. It has helped thousands of children become better students and helped stablilize the classroom setting. It has seemed to work so far but their are still some side effects. Some of these side effects of the drug Ritalin are:

(While death due to non-medical use of Ritalin is not common, it has been known to occur)

Scientists have not stopped research in finding a side effect-free drug.
Government 375: Educational Reform and Ideology