Who Has ADHD?
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis and treatment is a heavily debated topic among parents, teachers, and doctors alike. It is debated as a physiological, psychological, dietary, or environmentally related disorder. Social media has contributed greatly to the debate by serving as a platform for people to voice their personal opinions on the origins of the disorder. In the media, ADHD has been portrayed in a number of ways; ranging from the child with a genetic disorder that physically cannot focus, to the child who engages in too much time in front of the television and doesn’t care to focus in the classroom. The debate may be brought about by the seemingly vague definition of ADHD by the National Institute of Mental Health as, “a brain disorder marked by an ongoing pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development.” Furthermore, inattention is defined as “a person who wanders off task”, hyperactivity is defined as a person that is constantly moving, and impulsivity is defined when “a person makes hasty actions that occur in the moment without first thinking about them” (1). Each of these definitions may be relevant to describe someone with ADHD, or any person in general. These are symptoms of real life and can blur the line between diagnosing someone with ADHD or someone who is just having an off day or going through a tough time in their life.
A similar definition of ADHD has been made through mediatization of the disorder, but different causes are often assessed. These include behavior of the child and their inability to "buckle down", parenting style and ability to control children, and sugary diets that may influence a child's behavior and actions.
ADHD is most commonly diagnosed in young, caucasian boys between the ages of 4 and 12. Although ADHD has not been found to be gender or race specific, the way it is presented in this group of children is generally disruptive and in line with the stereotypes that surround the disorder.
General Stereotypes:
-Unable to sit still
-Unable to follow instructions
-Disruptive in the classroom
-No control over emotions (often anger)
-No interest in social activities
-Bad grades
-A BOY'S disease
-A CHILD's disease
These stereotypes are the reason that ADHD is often diagnosed in large numbers and that many children who may need treatment for their symptoms are not receiving it because they do not "fit" into the traditional stereotype of ADHD.
For example, girls with ADHD tend to be more inattentive and quiet, not disrupting the class but not focusing and learning to the best of her capabilities. This often goes undetected by teachers, parents, and doctors alike because the symptoms do not suggest a traditional ADHD candidate.
In my dataset, 36% of my sources mentioned a difference in ADHD between boys and girls. While this may seem like a high amount, it surprised me because the symptoms are typically so variant across genders.
ADHD is often characterized as a child's disease as well. All of my data sources discussed ADHD as a disease of a child and few mentioned adult ADHD. 36% mentioned adulthood ADHD, which is interesting to me because ADHD is not something that is simply outgrown and children with ADHD grow up to be adults with the disorder. I think the common misconception that ADHD is a child's disease may hinder the abilities of adults with the disorder or ADHD-like symptoms to seek treatment because they feel they are too old to be dealing with it.
