Nature vs. Nurture: ADHD
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), also called Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), is a disorder that affects 3-5% of children in the U.S. Characteristics of the affected children include constant motion, the inability to keep their minds on one thing, and acting before they think. Other symptoms include trouble with friends, school, and family. In the past, treatment has involved mostly the administration of drugs such as Ritalin, Devedrine, Cylert, or Adderal. However, ADHD is typically diagnosed by observing a child’s behavior, and many believe that this is not an accurate test, since some children could just have a naturally lower attention span. So before scientists are able to correctly diagnose ADHD, they need to understand whether it is “nature,” meaning ADHD is mostly caused by genetics and/or brain abnormalities, or “nurture,” meaning the disorder is mostly caused by poor parenting or a dysfunctional home environment. Those supporting “nature” argue that brain size is about 5% smaller in affected children. The two areas co
I believe that the cause of ADHD is a combination of both nature and nurture. Jim Bradshaw, a scientist investigating the nature/nurture relationship for ADHD, concludes that ADHD is 60-80% genetics, and 20-40% environment. His belief is that genetics determines the range of possible behaviors, and that the environment lived in determines where within this spectrum the affected will be. I think that instead of strictly behavior tests, ADHD should be diagnosed using a combination of attention tests and MRI, and treated using both psychiatric help and drug therapy. Those who believe that “nurture” plays a larger role in determining whether a child develops ADHD argue that allergies, depression, anxiety, conflicts with teachers or parents, or other causes may make normal children exhibit symptoms of distraction, but may not necessarily have ADHD. They also believe that while drugs may temporarily help with concentration, they are not a long-term solution to teach children how to behave normally or help relieve stress, resolve social difficulties, etc., tha
Some topics in this essay:
Adderal ADHD,
Jim Bradshaw,
MRIs Studies,
Disorder ADD,
Disorder ADHD,
Attention Deficit,
attention tests,
attention deficit,
affected children,
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Approximate Word count = 723
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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