ADHD Treatment

The Best Treatment for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Psychology 2 / Mr. Terrell

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a behavioral syndrome characterized by inattention and distractibility, restlessness, inability to sit still and difficulty concentration on one thing for any period of time states Lotha (2006). She also explains the numbers of the diagnoses are increasing annually and according to the Issues & Controversies Database (2005), “Most experts estimate that the disorder affects between 3% and 5% of American schoolchildren, although some say that the figure may be as high as 11% or higher.” This diagnosis was started to be viewed as an official condition until the 1950’s and scientists labeled
The interactions between the chemicals and the receptors help most of us stick with tedious chores like balancing the checkbook (they also prevent most of us from blurting out spontaneous observations about the boss's ideas). Medications like Ritalin are thought to increase those chemicals and to stimulate the inhibitory receptors, producing the odd result of a stimulant drug's acting to increase inhibition. Brink explains the drugs enter the body quickly and leave just as quickly, curing nothing but letting a child focus on the important work of learning (1998). Ritalin, which has a calming effect on people with ADHD, is given to students in the hopes that the drug will help them better focus on their schoolwork and other tasks. Receiving treatment, including medication, helps children function better and allows them to lead normal, well-adjusted lives. (Issues and Controversies Database 2005). The medical term of Ritalin is called
Critics argue that parents and teachers push doctors to prescribe Ritalin in order to help students excel in school by increasing their ability to focus on schoolwork (Issues and Controversies Database 2005). On the contrary experts are concerned that those drugs seem to have little effect on children's academic achievement or social adjustment. 25% of parents whose children have been diagnosed with ADHD refuse to medicate their children. In addition, some doctors are reluctant to prescribe those drugs and instead advocate behavioral therapy for the child. Psychosocial treatment typically involves teaching parents and educators how to better control the behavior of children with ADHD. For example, parents are advised to punish inappropriate behavior consistently and reward actions they wish to encourage, such as completing a homework assignment. The Issues and Controversies Database states parents and teachers learn the most effective ways to respond to ADHD children and learn how to create environments that are best suited for keeping such children disciplined. (2005). Pediatrician Gordon states, “In fact, they can be accustomed to completing most tasks with determination and efficiency when they perceive that there is a clear structure to an