| Myth #1: ADHD is a "phantom disorder". | | | | ADHD. In some cases, Ritalin even leads |
| FACT: The existence of a | | | | to an improvement of the of tics in |
| neurobiological disorder is not an issue | | | | children who have ADHD and Tourette's. |
| to be decided by the media through | | | | Myth #7: Teachers around the country |
| public debate, but rather as a matter of | | | | routinely push pills on any students who |
| scientific research. Scientific studies | | | | are even a little inattentive or |
| spanning 95 years summarized in the | | | | overactive. |
| professional writings of Dr. Russell | | | | FACT: Teachers are well-meaning |
| Barkley, Dr. Sam Goldstein, and others | | | | individuals who have the best interests |
| have consistently identified a group of | | | | of their students in mind. When they see |
| individuals who have trouble with | | | | students who are struggling to pay |
| concentration, impulse control, and in | | | | attention and concentrate, it is their |
| some cases, hyperactivity. Although the | | | | responsibility to bring this to parents' |
| name given to this group of individuals, | | | | attention, so parents can take |
| our understanding of them, and the | | | | appropriate action. The majority of |
| estimated prevalence of this group has | | | | teachers do not simply push pills- they |
| changed a number of times over the past | | | | provide information so that parents can |
| six decades, the symptoms have | | | | seek out appropriate diagnostic help. We |
| consistently been found to cluster | | | | do agree with the position that teachers |
| together. Currently called Attention | | | | should not diagnose ADHD. However, being |
| Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, this | | | | on the front lines with children, they |
| syndrome has been recognized as a | | | | collect information, raise the suspicion |
| disability by the courts, the United | | | | of ADHD, and bring the information to |
| States Department of Education, the | | | | the attention of parents, who then need |
| Office for Civil Rights, the United | | | | to have a full evaluation conducted |
| States Congress, the National Institutes | | | | outside the school. The symptoms of ADHD |
| of Health, and all major professional | | | | must be present in school and at home |
| medical, psychiatric, psychological, and | | | | before a diagnosis is made; teachers do |
| educational associations. | | | | not have access to sufficient |
| Myth #2: Ritalin is like cocaine, and | | | | information about the child's |
| the failure to give youngsters drug | | | | functioning to make a diagnosis of ADHD |
| holidays from Ritalin causes them to | | | | or for that matter to make any kind of |
| develop psychosis. | | | | medical diagnosis. |
| FACT: Methylphenidate (Ritalin) is a | | | | Myth #8: Efforts by teachers to help |
| medically prescribed stimulant | | | | children who have attentional problems |
| medication that is chemically different | | | | can make more of a difference than |
| from cocaine. The therapeutic use of | | | | medications such as Ritalin. |
| methylphenidate does NOT CAUSE addiction | | | | FACT: It would be nice if this were |
| or dependence, and does not lead to | | | | true, but recent scientific evidence |
| psychosis. Some children have such | | | | from the multi-modal treatment trials |
| severe ADD symptoms that it can be | | | | sponsored by the National Institute of |
| dangerous for them to have a medication | | | | Mental Health suggests it is a myth. In |
| holiday, for example a child who is so | | | | these studies, stimulant medication |
| hyper and impulsive he'll run into | | | | alone was compared to stimulant |
| traffic withoug stopping to look first. | | | | medication plus a multi-modal |
| Hallucinations are an extremely rare | | | | psychological and educational treatment, |
| side-effect of methylphenidate, and | | | | as treatments for children with ADHD. |
| their occurrence has nothing to do with | | | | The scientists found that the |
| the presence or absence of medication | | | | multi-modal treatment plus the |
| holidays. Individuals with ADHD who are | | | | medication was not much better than the |
| properly treated with stimulant | | | | medication alone. Teachers and |
| medication such as Ritalin have a lower | | | | therapists need to continue to do |
| risk of developing problems with alcohol | | | | everything they can to help individuals |
| and other drugs than the general | | | | with ADHD, but we need to realize that |
| population. More importantly, fifty | | | | if we don't also alter the biological |
| years of research has repeatedly shown | | | | factors that affect ADHD, we won't see |
| that children, adolescents, and adults | | | | much change. |
| with ADHD safely benefit from treatment | | | | Myth #9: CH.A.D.D. is supported by drug |
| with methylphenidate. | | | | companies, and along with many |
| Myth #3: No study has ever demonstrated | | | | professionals, are simply in this field |
| that taking stimulant medications can | | | | to make a quick buck on ADHD. |
| cause any lasting behavioral or | | | | FACT: Thousands of parents and |
| educational benefit to ADHD children. | | | | professionals volunteer countless hours |
| FACT: Research has repeatedly shown | | | | daily to over 600 chapters of CH.A.D.D. |
| that children, adolescents, and adults | | | | around the U.S. and Canada on behalf of |
| with ADHD benefit from therapeutic | | | | individuals with ADHD. CH.A.D.D. is very |
| treatment with stimulant medications, | | | | open about disclosing any contributions |
| which has been used safely and studied | | | | from drug companies. These contributions |
| for more than 50 years. For example, The | | | | only support the organization's national |
| New York Times reviewed a recent study | | | | conference, which consists of a series |
| from Sweden showing positive long- term | | | | of educational presentations, 95% of |
| effects of stimulant medication therapy | | | | which are on topics other than |
| on children with ADHD. Readers | | | | medications. None of the local chapters |
| interested in more studies on the | | | | receive any of this money. It is a |
| effectiveness of medication with ADHD | | | | disgrace to impugn the honesty and |
| should consult the professional writings | | | | efforts of all of these dedicated |
| of Dr. Russell Barkley, Drs. Gabrielle | | | | volunteers. CH.A.D.D. supports all known |
| Weiss and Lily Hechtman, and Dr. Joseph | | | | effective treatments for ADHD, including |
| Biederman. | | | | medication, and takes positions against |
| Myth #4: ADHD kids are learning to make | | | | unproven and costly remedies. |
| excuses, rather than take responsibility | | | | Myth #10: It is not possible to |
| for their actions. | | | | accurately diagnose ADD or ADHD in |
| FACT: Therapists, educators, and | | | | children or adults. |
| physicians routinely teach children that | | | | FACT: Although scientists have not yet |
| ADHD is a challenge, not an excuse. | | | | developed a single medical test for |
| Medication corrects their underlying | | | | diagnosing ADHD, clear-cut clinical |
| chemical imbalance, giving them a fair | | | | diagnostic criteria have been developed, |
| chance of facing the challenges of | | | | researched, and refined over several |
| growing up to become productive | | | | decades. The current generally accepted |
| citizens. Accommodations for the | | | | diagnostic criteria for ADHD are listed |
| disabled, as mandated by federal and | | | | in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual |
| state laws, are not ways of excusing | | | | of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) published |
| them from meeting society's | | | | by the American Psychiatric Association |
| responsibilities, but rather make it | | | | (1995). Using these criteria and |
| possible for them to compete on a | | | | multiple methods to collect |
| leveled playing field. | | | | comprehensive information from multiple |
| Myth #5: ADHD is basically due to bad | | | | informants, ADHD can be reliably |
| parenting and lack of discipline, and | | | | diagnosed in children and adults. |
| all that ADHD children really need is | | | | Myth #11: Children outgrow ADD or ADHD. |
| old-fashioned discipline, not any of | | | | FACT: ADHD is not found just in |
| these phony therapies. | | | | children. We have learned from a number |
| FACT: There are still some | | | | of excellent follow-up studies conducted |
| parent-bashers around who believe the | | | | over the past few decades that ADHD |
| century-old anachronism that child | | | | often lasts a lifetime. Over 70% of |
| misbehavior is always a moral problem of | | | | children diagnosed as having ADHD will |
| the "bad child." Under this model, the | | | | continue to manifest the full clinical |
| treatment has been to "beat the Devil | | | | syndrome in adolescence, and 15-50% will |
| out of the child." Fortunately, most of | | | | continue to manifest the full clinical |
| us are more enlightened today. A body of | | | | syndrome in adulthood. If untreated, |
| family interaction research conducted by | | | | individuals with ADHD may develop a |
| Dr. Russell Barkley and others has | | | | variety of secondary problems as they |
| unequivocally demonstrated that simply | | | | move through life, including depression, |
| providing more discipline without any | | | | anxiety, substance abuse, academic |
| other interventions worsens rather than | | | | failure, vocational problems, marital |
| improves the behavior of children with | | | | discord, and emotional distress. If |
| ADHD. One can't make a paraplegic walk | | | | properly treated, most individuals with |
| by applying discipline. Similarly, one | | | | ADHD live productive lives and cope |
| can't make a child with a | | | | reasonably well with their symptoms. |
| biologically-based lack of self-control | | | | Myth #12: Methylphenidate prescriptions |
| act better by simply applying discipline | | | | in the U.S. have increased 600%. |
| alone. | | | | FACT: The production quotas for |
| Myth #6: Ritalin is unsafe, causing | | | | methylphenidate increased 6-fold; |
| serious weight loss, mood swings, | | | | however that DEA production quota is a |
| Tourette's syndrome, and sudden, | | | | gross estimate based on a number of |
| unexplained deaths. | | | | factors, including FDA estimates of |
| FACT: Research has repeatedly shown | | | | need, drug inventories at hand, EXPORTS, |
| that children, adolescents, and adults | | | | and industry sales expectations. One |
| with ADHD benefit from treatment with | | | | cannot conclude that a 6-fold increase |
| Ritalin (also known as methylphenidate), | | | | in production quotas translates to a |
| which has been safely used for | | | | 6-fold increase in the use of |
| approximately 50 years. There are NO | | | | methylphenidate among U.S. children any |
| published cases of deaths from overdoses | | | | more than one should conclude that |
| of Ritalin; if you take too much | | | | Americans eat 6 times more bread because |
| Ritalin, you will feel terrible and act | | | | U.S. wheat production increased 6-fold |
| strange for a few hours, but you will | | | | even though much of the grain is stored |
| not die. This cannot be said about many | | | | for future use and export to countries |
| other medications. The unexplained | | | | that have no wheat production. Further, |
| deaths cited in some articles are from a | | | | of the approximately 3.5 million |
| combination of Ritalin and other drugs, | | | | children who meet the criteria for ADHD, |
| not from Ritalin alone. Further | | | | only about 50% of them are diagnosed and |
| investigation of those cases has | | | | have stimulant medication included in |
| revealed that most of the children had | | | | their treatment plan. The estimated |
| unusual medical problems which | | | | number of children taking |
| contributed to their deaths. It is true | | | | methylphenidate for ADD suggested in |
| that many children experience appetite | | | | some media stories fails to note that |
| loss, and some moodiness or "rebound | | | | methylphenidate is also prescribed for |
| effect" when Ritalin wears off. A very | | | | adults who have ADHD, people with |
| small number of children may show some | | | | narcolepsy, and geriatric patients who |
| temporary tics, but these do not become | | | | receive considerable benefit from it for |
| permanent. Ritalin does not permanently | | | | certain conditions associated with old |
| alter growth, and usually does not | | | | age such as memory functioning. (see |
| result in weight loss. Ritalin does not | | | | Pediatrics, December 1996, Vol. 98, No. |
| cause Tourette's syndrome, rather many | | | | 6) |
| youngsters with Tourette's also have | | | | |