Are Children Being Over Medicated For ADHD 
Monica Hernandez
English 1
11/12/14
Are Children Being Over Medicated for ADHD?
Throughout the years, the number of children diagnosed with ADHD, Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder, has just about doubled. Most Children are diagnosed with the disorder by the ages 517 (Kori Ellis). “More than 70% of those who are diagnosed, millions of children, are prescribed drugs. Are schools asking to drug kids for better test scores” (Wall Street Journal
Online)?
One of the main reasons for people to believe ADHD is overdiagnosed and overmedicated is obviously because of the growth in medications being prescribed to treat
ADHD. The quantity of children taking these medications for ADHD tripled between 1975 and
1987. The number of adolescents taking medication for ADHD more than doubled between 1990 and 1995. Over the years, the use of ADHD medications has increased dramatically (Eileen
Bailey). 28 percent of the elementary school students who are medicated for ADHD receive two or more psychotropic drugs. “For many of them, treatment began during preschool or early childhood years” (Eileen M. O 'Connor).
To the untrained normal person, it looks as if these children suffer from ADHD. But they don 't really need the medicine. They need stability and support from the ones they love. A number of studies and research demonstrate the effectiveness of teaching parents to manage difficult child behavior. “This reduces both insecure parentchild attachment, a risk factor for disruptive child behavior, and the disruptive behavior itself. So why aren 't we insisting that
physicians use evidencebased treatments and prescribe familybased support services for toddlers who present with ADHD and disruptive behavior? Instead, we 're writing prescriptions that could potentially do more harm than good” (Nancy Rappaport).
Medication may be used to help ADHD when the biological illness is truly present, but true actual ADHD cannot be told different from other
English 1
11/12/14
Are Children Being Over Medicated for ADHD?
Throughout the years, the number of children diagnosed with ADHD, Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder, has just about doubled. Most Children are diagnosed with the disorder by the ages 517 (Kori Ellis). “More than 70% of those who are diagnosed, millions of children, are prescribed drugs. Are schools asking to drug kids for better test scores” (Wall Street Journal
Online)?
One of the main reasons for people to believe ADHD is overdiagnosed and overmedicated is obviously because of the growth in medications being prescribed to treat
ADHD. The quantity of children taking these medications for ADHD tripled between 1975 and
1987. The number of adolescents taking medication for ADHD more than doubled between 1990 and 1995. Over the years, the use of ADHD medications has increased dramatically (Eileen
Bailey). 28 percent of the elementary school students who are medicated for ADHD receive two or more psychotropic drugs. “For many of them, treatment began during preschool or early childhood years” (Eileen M. O 'Connor).
To the untrained normal person, it looks as if these children suffer from ADHD. But they don 't really need the medicine. They need stability and support from the ones they love. A number of studies and research demonstrate the effectiveness of teaching parents to manage difficult child behavior. “This reduces both insecure parentchild attachment, a risk factor for disruptive child behavior, and the disruptive behavior itself. So why aren 't we insisting that
physicians use evidencebased treatments and prescribe familybased support services for toddlers who present with ADHD and disruptive behavior? Instead, we 're writing prescriptions that could potentially do more harm than good” (Nancy Rappaport).
Medication may be used to help ADHD when the biological illness is truly present, but true actual ADHD cannot be told different from other
Cited: . 21 Feb. 2014: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 16 Nov. 2014. Web. 16 Nov. 2014. . Web. 12 Nov. 2014. "Medicating ADHD: Too Much? Too Soon?" Http://www.apa.org . Web. 14 Nov. 2014. . 04 Jun. 2014: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 14 Nov. 2014.