While many parents are getting annoyed at seeing all the literature in magazines, and all the advertisements on television, about new ADHD treatments, findings, or research, I am upset that there is not more attention drawn to this very real disorder.
At five years old my son started school, just like any other child. For nearly four years I knew my son was hyperactive, and impulsive, to say the least. I had never heard of ADHD, ADD, or ODD until a call from the school nurse set off a few alarms.
I spent an hour on the phone with her. She told me the stories of when her children were first diagnosed, what the early signs are, and what she felt I needed to do now. She suggested an evaluation at a hospital not too far from my home, and I took her advice.
I filled out what seemed to be mountains of paperwork. Questions about his birth, about his benchmarks, things I couldn't imagine had anything to do with his 'episodes' that set off the school.
When we were finally taken into the room, after a two hour meeting and evaluation, the doctor told me that my son was not only ADHD, but ODD as well. It was like someone just told me he had cancer, I had no idea what that meant.
I spent months researching things on the internet, reaching out to others both online and in person.
After considering all sides, and the benefits to his social life and school career, we medicated.
The medications that my son takes, and that most ADHD children would take, would not have the effect on the children if this was not a real problem. The medications are formulated in such a way that if a non ADHD child would take it, there would be a totally different outcome after ingestion.
I have seen, first hand for 6 years now, the effects of ADHD on a child. I have seen the medicated side, and the non medicated side, and I assure you, this is a very real and even frightening diagnosis for anyone, child or adult.
There are many 'natural' remedies spoken about for ADHD, and yes, there are many stimulants. The question should not be if the diagnosis is real or over diagnosed, it should be a question of if the parents are doing enough to help their child.
Many parents receive this diagnosis and blow it off because they say it is not real. They say he just needs to learn. They punish stricter. All this, because it is something they do not understand.
If ADHD were not real, if it were over diagnosed, it would not be mentioned in the list of disabilities as defined by the Social Security Administration. Many other common conditions are associated with ADHD that are not argued to be real or fictitious. Many children with ADHD also suffer from ODD, Autism, or even Tourette's Syndrome, but it seems only ADHD gets ridiculed by those who do not know.
My son is better controlled, less hyper, and he even sleeps, where before he was medicated, he rarely slept. When he did sleep he would yell in his sleep, even walk at times, and sometimes scream very loudly about nothing. I have seen the effects of no diagnosis, no medication, and getting medicated for a diagnosis, and I assure you, my son is better off knowing what his conditions consist of, rather than fighting for what he does not know is wrong.
Saying ADHD is over diagnosed is like saying Autism or Tourette's is over diagnosed. You can not speak of what you do not know. Stay a week in the home of a non medicated ADHD child, you will believe, too.