According to healthline’s website, 6.1% of American children a now being treated for ADHA (Holland & Riley, 2017). This is a 42% increase in children being diagnosed over the last 8 years (Holland & Riley, 2017). Of these numbers, the average age of diagnosis is 7 years, with males being three times more likely being considered as having ADHD (Holland & Riley, 2017). With statistics such as these, questions are raised about the numbers of children being diagnosed; these questions need to be addressed with more attention and a greater urgency. Dr. Dewar notes that the diagnosing of ADHD is intrinsically problematic (2016). She suggests that when children are diagnosed with ADHA the “implication is that he is more distractible, impulsive or hyperactive than he should be for his age” (Dewar, 2016). Two points arise when considering diagnoses: One, the expectations of what it means to be a child has changed. For example, “kindergarten is becoming more academic” (Deward, 2016). Two, diagnoses are subjective. For example, a teacher might see things differently depending how they perceive their students through their own subjective values and beliefs. While Deward notes other problems that need to be considered with diagnosis, these two point alone are enough to make us sit back and wonder how we “see children” in our society – what do we expect from them and from ourselves?
Furthermore, we must consider the types and amounts of drug use we foist on children diagnosed with ADHD. According to San Francisco clinician Diller, he notes that while he has “‘no doubt that Ritalin works, certainly in the short term,’ no one talks about a moral equivalent: ‘better parenting and more appropriate schooling for children’” (O’Connor, 2001). In conclusion, now as teachers and parents we have to ask the logic of our expectations of what children can do, what we expect them to do, how we expect them to do it, and why they should do it. Thoughts?
References
Dewar, G. (2016). ADHD in children: Are millions being unnecessarily medicated? Retrieved from http://www.parentingscience.com/ADHD-in-children.html
Holland, K., Riley, E. (2017). ADHA by the Numbers: Facts, Statistics, and You. Retrieved from http://www.healthline.com/health/adhd/facts-statistics-infographic
O’Connor, E. M. (December 2001). Medicating ADHD: Too much? Too Soon? American Psychological Association 32(11), p. 50. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/monitor/dec01/medicating.aspx
