I. Either A or B: Website design By BotEap.comA. Six or more of the following symptoms of inattention have been present for at least 6 months to a point that is disruptive and developmentally inappropriate: Website design By BotEap.comInattention
1. Often does not pay much attention to detail or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork, work, or other activities.
2. Often has trouble keeping attention on tasks or play activities.
3. Often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly.
4. Often does not follow directions and does not complete schoolwork, housework, or workplace duties (not due to oppositional behavior or lack of understanding of directions).
5. Often has trouble organizing activities.
6. Often avoids, dislikes, or does not want to do things that require a lot of mental effort over a long period of time (such as homework or schoolwork).
7. Often loses things necessary for tasks and activities (for example, toys, homework, pencils, books, or tools).
8. Often easily distracted.
9. You are often forgetful in your daily activities. Website design By BotEap.comB. Six or more of the following symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity have been present for at least 6 months to a degree that is disruptive and developmentally inappropriate: Website design By BotEap.comHyperactivity
1. Often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat.
2. Often gets out of seat when expected to stay in seat.
3. Often runs or climbs when and where it is not appropriate (teens or adults may feel very restless).
4. Often has trouble playing or enjoying leisure activities quietly.
5. It is often “in motion” or acts as if it is “driven by a motor.”
6. Often talks excessively. Website design By BotEap.comImpulsiveness
1. Often blurts out answers before questions are finished.
2. You often have trouble waiting your turn.
3. Often interrupts or intrudes with others (for example, intrudes on conversations or games).
II. Some symptoms that cause deterioration were present before the age of 7 years.
III. In two or more settings (eg, at school / work and at home) there is some alteration of symptoms.
IV. There must be clear evidence of significant impairment in social, school, or work functioning.
V. Symptoms do not occur only during the course of a pervasive developmental disorder, schizophrenia, or other psychotic disorder. Symptoms are not better explained by another mental disorder (eg, mood disorder, anxiety disorder, dissociative disorder, or personality disorder). Website design By BotEap.comBased on these criteria, three types of ADHD are identified:
1. ADHD, combined type: if criteria 1A and 1B are met during the last 6 months
2. ADHD, predominantly inattentive type: if criterion 1A is met but criterion 1B is not met during the last six months
3. ADHD, predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type: if Criterion 1B is met but Criterion 1A has not been met during the last six months.
American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision. Washington, DC, American Psychiatric Association, 2000.
After looking at this list, I am convinced that I have ADHD, as do my children, as does anyone I have come in contact with. Anyone could have six or more of these symptoms and could easily be diagnosed with the mental illness of ADHD. Website design By BotEap.comADHD is not protected by the People with Disabilities Act. It cannot be because there are now too many people who have been diagnosed with this condition. There is not a single state that can afford to channel special education funds to local districts to work with the large number of students who have been diagnosed with this condition. . In 1991, when such major educational organizations as the National Education Association (NEA), the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) successfully opposed the licensing of the Congress of ADD as a legally disabling condition, NEA spokeswoman Debra DeLee wrote, “Establishing a new category [ADD] based solely on behavioral characteristics, such as over-activity, impulsivity, and inattention, increases the likelihood of inappropriate labeling for racial, ethnic, and linguistic minority students. “And Peg Dawson, former president of NASP, noted:” We do not believe that label proliferation is the best way to address the ADD problem. It is in the best interest of all children that we stop creating categories of exclusion and begin to respond to the needs of every child. ”However, ADD continues to gain traction as the label of the day in American education. It is time to stop and take stock of this “disorder” and decide if it really exists or if it is more a manifestation of society’s need to have such disorder. Website design By BotEap.comWhere was ADHD forty years ago? Did it exist? I do not believe it. I believe this condition was created by society and schools to excuse the nonconforming behaviors that we see in our students today. The change was incremental and escaped us. Now we don’t know what to do and now we are creating labels that support the behavior. When parents and educators can find a label or reason to support disrespect and irresponsibility, they are almost relieved to find that it is not their inability to discipline their students or children, but the condition that is causing the problem. So what is the answer? I really do not know. In a progressive society we always seek to advance. Perhaps in this case we need to go back and not accept behaviors that in years past were totally unacceptable. We may need to raise our expectations and demand respect and responsibility from our children and reduce our tolerance for behaviors that may require good old-fashioned discipline.