Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)

I  attended the international conference of Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) .

Much controversy exists about labeling students as having attention deficit disorder(ADD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Professionals refer to the false use of the label, which was coined in 1972 when education psychologist Virginia Douglas correctly realized that the most important feature of this phenomenon was distractibility resulting in difficulty to sustain attention. So the new name “Attention Deficit Disorder” was born.

People categorized as ADD—when given something they enjoy doing—can have laser-like attention; they are just easily distracted. Also, AD/HD is not a disorder; it is a neurological condition. Professionals have identified the following as the core behavioral traits: distractibility, impulsivity, and/or hyperactivity.

CHAD is highly subsidized by the pharmaceutical industry, so it was no wonder that many of the booths displayed drugs. The argument for administering drugs to children and adults categorized as having  ADD runs the gamut from avoidance of drugs to dependency on them.

Parents who are concerned that their child exhibits distractibility, impulsivity, or overactivity can reduce stimuli which contribute to these behaviors. Among these are limiting the exposure to rapid-fire action video games and similar television programs.

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