ADD

5 Pages 1292 Words

My brother Michael was diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), a neurological condition in which the brain has problems organizing the numerous stimuli that are incoming at any given moment, as well as selecting an appropriate response. He is now 14 and taking medications for his disorder. Michael has problems staying focused, he feels easily bored, he’s very forgetful and unorganized but also very hyper and unable to sit still.
These are the typical behaviors of most people diagnosed with ADD or ADHD. Sure everybody has some of these symptoms some of the time. However, like my brother, individuals with ADD have more of these symptoms more of the time and to the point where it interferes with their ability to function normally in academics, work and social settings, and to reach their potential. Many studies estimate that between three and five percent of the population has attention deficit disorder. However, recent controversy has erupted to whether Attention Deficit Disorder is a legitimate medical diagnosis. Years ago only children exhibiting severe affects of hyperactivity were diagnosed, mostly because they suffered brain damage or trauma. Today, the diagnostic criterion has been expanded so that any underachiever or inattentive child fits the bill.
According to Sydney Walker III, Southern California Director of Neuropsychiatric Institute and founder of Behavioral Neurology International, “ADD and ADHD are descriptions not diagnoses” (Walker 1). He argues that hundreds of children are being treated and diagnosed as ADD, but many suffer other more critical problems. This, in fact, could be true but that wouldn’t prove Attention Deficit Disorder to be a false medical diagnosis. Russell Barkley, director of psychology at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center and the author of a classic handbook on ADD, disagrees. He complains “Those who doubt ADD is a legitimate disorder never ...