Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and the Difficulties Associated With the Assessment and Treatment of Psychological Childhood Disorders
By any measure, childhood is a challenging period in human development where young people are forced to actively participate in the educational process while developing human relationship skills that they will need for the rest of their lives. Against this backdrop, it is not surprising that many young people experience behavioral difficulties that detract from their ability to attain their full academic and social potential including one of the most commonly diagnosed conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. To gain some new insights into this condition, this paper reviews the relevant literature concerning attention deficit hyperactivity disorder followed by a discussion concerning the difficulties that are associated with assessing and treating psychological childhood disorders. Finally, a summary of the research and important findings concerning these issues are presented in the conclusion.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is among the most common childhood neurodevelopmental disorders. This condition is typically diagnosed during childhood, but left untreated, it can persist well into adulthood (Facts about ADHD 1). Although individual manifestations of ADHD vary, sufferers tend to have problems controlling their impulsive behaviors and paying attention (Facts about ADHD 2). Clinicians are increasingly applying the diagnosis of ADHD to children based on sustained disruptive or uncontrollable behaviors and more than six million children are currently diagnosed with ADHD, and one-third of these are aged 2 to 5 years (Facts about...
In this regard, the CDC points out that, "It is normal for children to have trouble focusing and behaving at one time or another. However, children with ADHD do not just grow out of these behaviors. The symptoms continue and can cause difficulty at school, at home, or with friends" (Facts about ADHD 4).
In reality, though, it is reasonable to suggest that most young people demonstrate many of the signs and symptoms of ADHD. For instance, the CDC advises that children suffering from ADHD might:
Daydream a lot;
Forget or lose things a lot;
Squirm or fidget;
Talk too much;
Make careless mistakes or take unnecessary risks;
Have a hard time resisting temptation;
Have trouble taking turns; and,
Have difficulty getting along with others (Facts about ADHD 5).
Not only do many adults exhibit these types of behaviors, this laundry list of ADHD symptoms could also serve as a working definition of childhood because every child in history has engaged in these behaviors to some extent at some point or another. Moreover, there remains a lack of consensus among researchers concerning the legitimacy of the ADHD diagnosis in the first place. For instance, Wingo and Ghaemi emphasize that, "Given ADHD's relatively loose diagnostic criteria and high comorbidity in adults with mood disorders, the question of whether adult ADHD/bipolar disorder represents comorbidity or diagnostic overlap remains unresolved" (47).
This "loose diagnostic criteria" could also mean that some teachers are tempted to divert troublesome students from mainstream classrooms into special educational settings even though they are simply engaging in normal childhood behaviors (Schnoes and Reid 484). Similarly, the temptation to…
