Adhd

Adhd

...scientists think ADHD is caused by a chemical problem in the brain. The front part of the brain helps you pay attention, concentrate, organize things, and put breaks on impulsive or unacceptable behavior. People's brains with ADHD may not be able to use the brain's main signal senders, neurotransmitters, the way it is suppose to. The front part of the brain has very little to do with intelligence, so it is possible to be very smart and still have ADHD.
When I first heard about ADHD (Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder), I thought, "C'mon. This psycho-babble has gone too far." I saw psychologists, researchers, lawyers, teachers, parents, all talking seriously about this claimed disorder. But what I didn't think about was where this information was coming from. Many talk shows have featured ADHD, where self-righteous citizens cheer, boo, and hiss like a jury at some medieval witch trial. A writer for the reputable publication New York magazine wrote: "[ADHD] is certainly a fitting disorder for the Nintendo and MTV generations—children who seem more at home playing computer games than having a quiet dinner conversation with their parents," which sounds like it was written by a disgruntled "parent" rather than an unbiased reporter (Blau 45). And an article in Time ran quotes from erudite psychologists like Robert Reid, who said that ADHD is just an ego-preserving excuse, merely "a label of forgiveness" (Wallis 42). Newspapers ran these argumentative headlines: "Some Skeptical of Surge in Attention-Deficit Diagnoses" and "Overreacting to Attention Deficit Disorder" (Perkins A1, Vatz 82). And before I began learning about ADHD, I too was a media-driven skeptic. But, as with most things, knowledge begets understanding. "3-5% of school-age children are affected by ADHD. Hyperactivity is easy to spot, and more boys than girls tend to be hyperactivity. If one...

View Full Essay

Saved Papers

Find papers more easily with our Saved Papers feature.

Join Now

Get unlimited access to over 190,000 essays and papers.

Join Now