Diagnosing ADHD is very difficult, because most children are inattentive, hyperactive, and impulsive at least some of the time. When diagnosing there is no blood test, or written test to determine if ADHD is present. All there is are guidelines and an educated guess. The guidelines include, “ A disturbance of at least six months during which at least eight of the following are present:

1. Often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat

2. Has difficulty remaining seated when required to do so

3. Is easily distracted by extraneous stimuli

4. Has difficulty waiting turn in games or group situations

5. Often blurts out answers to questions before they have been completed

6. Has difficulty following through on instructions fro

The above items are listed in descending order of discriminating power based on data from national field trial of the DSM-III-R criteria for Disruptive Behavior Disorders,” contributed Sam& Michael Goldstein to Managing Attention Disorders in Children page11. In order to diagnose, these symptoms must occur more frequent than children of the same age and must occurring more than one sitting. 90% of ADHD patients take Ritalin, a mild central nervous system stimulant believed to calm hyperactivity by helping the brain disregard distracting stimuli, “ ADHD has been estimated to affect 3% to 5% of school-age children nation wide, with less than 3% actually receiving medication,” said Gretchen LeFever, a pediatric psychologist, on an Internet column. Gretchen Leveler’s research found that 8% to 10% of children in second through fifth grades routinely took ADHD medication in school during 1995-1996 school year. LeFever also conducted another study, which she examined records of student enrolled in the second through fifth grade once again, but she chose two specific cities this time, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach. She chose these two cities, because they are the most diverse cities in Virginia, Portsmouth is a small, urban, poor, mostly black district, while Virginia Beach, Virginia is a larger, more wealthy, and mostly white district. LeFever and her researchers found that ADHD medication was used three times as many boys as with girls’ and twice as many whites as blacks. The researchers also found that the use of medication increased as the children aged. By fifth grade, 19% to 20% of white boys received ADHD medication. Scientists do not know what causes ADHD, however, they have discredited many theories that ADHD was a result from minor head injuries or undetectable brain damage due to infections or complications during birth. Another theory blamed the consumption of refined sugar and food additives, a study was done and it’s showed that very few ADHD children benefited from a special diet. Another theory junked was the theory of bad parenting a dysfunctional home life.“ Controversy exists over the diagnosis of ADHD. Physicians in the United States diagnose the disorder more often than doctors elsewhere in the world,” contributed Michael Woods to Microsoft Encarta E

Some topics in this essay:
Encarta Encyclopedia, Diagnosing ADHD, Gwendolyn Corley, Beach Virginia, ADHD Aderall, Disorders Children, Louisiana University, Gretchen Leveler’s, Dexedrine DextroStat, ADHD Studies, woods microsoft, contributed michael woods, microsoft encarta encyclopedia, adhd medication, contributed michael, encarta encyclopedia, microsoft encarta, michael woods, woods microsoft encarta, children adhd, michael woods microsoft, skills training, fifth grade, control impulses” contributed, nervous system,