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Attention Deficit Disorder (with or without Hyperactivity)

Attention Deficit Disorder is a completely separate condition than dyslexia. However, research has shown that at least 40% of people with dyslexia also have ADD/ADHD.

ADD/ADHD a Real Disorder

A large number of scientists joined together to issue a consensus statement on ADD/ADHD. They state:

We, the undersigned consortium of 75 international scientists, are deeply concerned about the periodic inaccurate portrayal of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in media reports. This is a disorder…to which many of us have dedicated scientific studies if not entire careers. We fear that inaccurate stories rendering ADHD as myth, fraud, or benign condition may cause thousands of sufferers not to seek treatment. It also leaves the public with a general sense that this disorder is not valid or real or consists of a trivial affliction.

The U.S. Surgeon General, the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Psychological Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, among others, recognize ADHD as a valid disorder. While some of these organizations have issued guidelines for evaluation and management of the disorder, this is the first consensus statement issued by an independent consortium of leading scientists concerning the status of the disorder. Among scientists who have devoted years, if not entire careers, to the study of this disorder there is no controversy regarding its existence.

We have created this consensus statement on ADHD as a reference on the status of the scientific findings concerning this disorder, its validity, and its adverse impact on the lives of those diagnosed with the disorder as of this writing (January 2002).

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Need for Treatment of ADD/ADHD

Dr. Russell Barkley, author of “Taking Charge of ADHD: The Complete, Authoritative Guide for Parents,” cites these grim statistics:

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Treatment of ADD/ADHD

Although medication is not usually the first form of treatment, and should never be the only form of treatment, here's what a nationwide survey of 3,000 parents whose children are being treated with medication report:

In addition to reducing ADHD symptoms (chronic and pervasive inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity), most children who receive medication say their treatment helps them:

Almost all children receiving medication say that their treatment helps them focus on schoolwork (95%) and “get things done” (94%).

Although the media claim that medication “dopes” children into submission, ADD medications are not sedatives. They do not “medicate a child into submission.”

Instead, they wake up the brain's “focusing system”—the part responsible for attention, focus, behavior control, and cognitive performance—by allowing Dopamine, a neurotransmitter, to reach that part of the brain consistently.

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Great Resources for ADD/ADHD

National Call Center for ADD/ADHD Information

CHADD (Children & Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) has opened a new ADD/ADHD National Call Center to provide information about ADD/ADHD.

Open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, the center responds immediately to anyone who contacts them:

Visit their great website: www.help4adhd.org.

Good Links for ADD/ADHD Information