A Case Study: An Interesting Look into Attention-Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD)
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Authors
Gordon, Sean
Issue Date
2000
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
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Abstract
As I have studied ADHD, I have come to realize that it is a controversial topic.
This is obvious in many ways. In the thirty years that ADHD has been diagnosed in
DSM, it has undergone three major changes in definition. The current definition in
DSM-IV is widely accepted as the best measure of ADHD today. However, as pointed
out in the articles by Armstrong and Smelter et al., that definition still requires much
work. We also see discrepancies in the estimates of children believed to be afflicted by
ADHD with some as high as 23% and some as low as 1%. The history of ADHD in
Congress is another example of the complexity and confusion that taints this disorder.
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However, I think it is of vital importance to ask ourselves a question: Is there
relevance in existence? This reminds me of a comment William N. Bender made in his
book Understanding ADHD: A Practical Guide for Teachers and Parents: One simple
focus can assist in understanding ADHD; the children must be the single focus for
educators and parents wading through the morass of information on ADHD. In any new
field, one is wise to stay focused on the issue at hand, and in this area, the primary focus
must be how to assist children and youth with this disorder.“33 Bender makes a
compelling point in this statement, “stay focused on the issue at hand.” The issue at hand
is not if ADHD is over-diagnosed or even if it exists. These are irrelevant. Through all
the discrepancies on how ADHD is diagnosed, on the different definitions of the disorder,
the debates in Congress, and the different opinions on estimates there is one constant: the
children. Regardless if ADHD is a matter of human choice as in the case of Dan or if it is
a biological disorder that inhibits a child’s ability to learn, the problem still exists that
students are not doing well in school due to these particular problems. Thus, we must ask
ourselves: What is the issue at hand? The issue is that students are not performing in
school due to the “Holy Trinity,” impulsivity, inattention, and hyperactivity. Regardless
if these symptoms are real or not, it is our duty as educators to find interventions that can
assist these students so they can do better in school.
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40 p.
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