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ADHD On the Rise (commentary essay)
English Composition 1 (ENG-105)
Grand Canyon University
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Rebecca Connelly ENG- January 22, 2020 Professor Palenque
ADHD: On the Rise, but Why?
Within the past twenty years, there has been a 10% increase in ADHD amongst children in the United States (Bluth, 2018). The cause is still unknown, making the condition a mystery to researchers, one that they have been trying to solve for about 118 years. However, there are many solid theories to back up information that was found regarding the learning disability. After conducting more studies, researchers noticed that there was a notable increase in diagnoses (chadd, 2019). The question then becomes: is the rise due to outside factors coming more into play, or are more doctors are parents just becoming more aware about ADHD? As many as 1 in 5 people have a learning disability, with ADHD being one of the top five “most common” ones (ldrfa, 2018). However, the question is: Has there really been a strike in ADHD? In short, the answer is yet to be confirmed, but researchers do say that there is a possibility. There are several things that can cause the increase in ADHD diagnoses, one of them being an environmental changes in our food, and chemical exposure that can be affecting prenatal pregnancy (chadd, 2019). An increase in the amount of time we spend with electronic devices, especially at a young age, and the lack of sleep that we may experience, can also play into early development of ADHD.
“This is a dramatic change,” says Dr. Bao, “now 1 in 10 children are affected.” (chadd, 2019) Doctors have been learning more about ADHD, while also figuring out ways to help those who have the disorder. Teachers and parents are also learning more due to ADHD
awareness increasing through the country over the years. More schools and parents are being made aware and getting information that they may need. Despite teachers now recognizing a change in their students and what it could be, it is still very unlikely that the increased results of the condition are because of overdiagnosed or misdiagnosed cases (Bluth, 2018). Just like many things in the United States, ADHD is overlooked in regards to minorities. It is proven that there is a higher percentage of African American children who show the symptoms of ADHD over white children, but they are less likely to be treated or diagnosed with the disorder. (Bernstein, 2016). A newer study showed that Hispanic children were just as likely as their white peers to exhibit symptoms of ADHD, but are also less likely to be treated for it. The increase could very easily be more than 10%. Even though researchers say it is unlikely the spike in rate is due to children being overdiagnosed, it cannot be said that there are not cases still, where ADHD is being underdiagnosed. This leads to a problem, just like anything does when people are not getting the representation or help they deserve. An assistant professor of pediatrics at the David Geffen School of Medicine, says, “It is hard to be treated if you are not diagnosed in the first place.” (Coker, 2016) It is very unlikely that ADHD will be going anywhere. The numbers go up over the years, thanks to medical professionals becoming more aware and coming up with ways to help their patients. Of course, there is always the possibility that ADHD could bring more consequences than it already does. As mentioned above, minorities are less likely to be treated with the disorder. This could be due to lack of access to medical care. Another problem is that with the increase, there is no sure way to tell what the number of people with ADHD truly is -- not when everyone is not getting the proper help and being diagnosed as they need. In an elementary school in Boston, Kayla Chavez, found her child being locked away in a padded room due to “behavioral issues”. It has been seen across the nation of teachers placing their students in these isolation rooms as an act of “discipline” (Huber, 2017). It was never stated if the child suffers from ADHD, or if they ever got tested, either way putting children in locked padded
boston25news/news/trending-now/mother-finds-son-in-padded-room-at-
elementary-school/5269146725 (Mary Huber, Boston25 News, 2017)
chadd/adhd-weely/is-there-an-increase-in-adhd/ (2019)
ldrfa/the-top-5-most-common-learning-disabilities-their-symptoms/ (2018)
upi/health_News/2016/08/23/ADHD-more-often-missed-in-minority-kids/
53147985198 (James Bernstein, Healthday News, 2016)
htttps:washingtonpost/national/health/science/adhd/-numbers-are-rising-and-scientists-are-
trying-to-understand-why/2018/09/07/a918d0f4-b07e-a20b-5f4f84429666_story (Rachel
Bluth, Washington Post, 2018)
ADHD On the Rise (commentary essay)
Course: English Composition 1 (ENG-105)
University: Grand Canyon University
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