AttentionDeficitDisorderis an
Notan Excuse
Explanation,
MylesL. CooleyPh.D.ABPP
I go on to tell t}|epatient,"ltissimply
One would thinl( that the neurobinot true that you can'l do something
ologicalevidencefor ADHD would be
becauscyou haveADI{D. Youcan do
sufficient to .ounter the cynics. Howanythingorbeanybodyyouwanttobe.
ever maybethe problem is not with thc
It may be nore difficult.Youmay have
evidence,but in how this evidence is
to work harder than other peopleat
beingused.Perhapsthebrain-basedex
miscertain things. It's no differcnt than
ptanationfor the disorderhasbeen
or Settin8bei
building
a stron8erbody
constru€d
by someADHD individuals
You
have
to work hard
well
as
by
oth€rs,
ter
at
a
sport.
and theirfamilies,as
practicing
your sport
lifting
weights
or
c€rtain
behaviors.
as an €xcusefor
ora
musicaL
instrument."Taking
on the
that
society
is
fed
Ther€is little doubt
responsibilify
of
a€complishing
somethat
abdicates
up with the mentality
thing
that
is
diflicult
is
the
challenge
we
and
th€re
is
litpersonalrcsponsibility,
must
cmphasize
to
individuals
and
those
who
would
tie tolerance for
familieswith ADHD.
blame
ADHD on theirbiology
Ne@s?r?tk,
In the pastfew years,Tit?td,
Then thereis the issueof medication.
evidence
Clearlt th€neurobiological
and everyother major we€kly TV newsparentsare coflcemedthat if they
nev€r
m€ant
to
be
an
Some
matazine llave featu€d stones ques- for ADHD was
medication as a treagnent for
The
€vidence
was
choose
excusefor beluvior.
tioning the legitimacyof ADHD a-rtdthe
their
child,
the child will attribute too
help
understand,
explain,
intmded to
safetyof the medicationBusedto ts€atit,
for his behavior to
It
much
respoflsibility
disorder
effectively.
apand treat the
and, more r€cendy,a major university
pill.
explanation
that is
rais€
the
Again,
the
pea$
those
of
us
who
treat,
that
hasattemptedto r€qui.rereevaluationsof
is
critical
in
how
the
offered
to
a
child
with
ADHD
must
and teach childrcn
studentswith ADHD and leaming disthe
role
of
medication.
I
that
ADHD
child
views
hard
to
emphasize
work
abilities.Ther€aft increasingrePortsof
parents
Orat
to
the
and
child
explain
not
€rcrses
behavior.
denialE of sewices to these shrdents. explaint,
medication may help the chiid behave
Should this t€action suPdse us when
Theway ADHD is explainedis clititheway shewantsto,but a pill doesnot
Parkerproclaims that "collegestudents cal.WhenI explainADHD to an indimake decisionsabout how to behav€
art
haveelevatedthe ADHD excus€to an
vidual I have just diagnosed, I
not pills.
Peoplemakechoices,
homework
forft Nobody's dog eatsthe
describ€ (in age-appropdate lanAs
a
an],rnor€.ADHD did it."
Psycholo- guage)how all human beings look,
Finally,we must clarify for educatorc
gist vrho tr€atsboth ADHD youngsters think, and behave differently. Th€n I
thatADHD do€snot excusea studmt's
and adults and struSSleswith the Parpoint out how people differ specifi- behavior Teache$and administrators
entsand spous€swho live with then! I
cally in their abilities to pay attention,
are obj€ctingto what they perceiveas
am incr€asingly dismayed at society's concentrate,
remembersit still, obey
parents'demandsfor different or lower
growing backlashr€garding this disorrule€, etc.We discusssomeof the parstandardslor ADHD students.Differticular difficultiesthis personexperi- ent or lower standardsshould neverbe
There is probably some skePticism ences.I emphasizethat I understand requested.This would be an imPlicit
the person would like not to have
admissionthat ADHD studentsar€ not
that is justified. ADHD Is piobably
capableof attaining the samestandards
overdiagnosedby some practihoners. thesedifficulties, but it is difficult for
and goals as other students Parmts
There is also evidence that stimulanG thepersonto noibeh4vein theseways.
must be car€tuIto avoid using the term
are being abusedby somehiSh s€hool
people
make
Next, I poht out that
"catuot" when r€ferrint to an ADHD
and collegestud€nts. This is only Palt
many differ€nt dloices when tlrcy nm
of the picture, thouSh.ADHD is grossly into something that is difficdt. Some child's behavior. Teachersmay interpret this as €icusing behavior that jusund€r-identified in minority PoPula- peopl€sala"l €an't do this becauseirs
tifies lower standards b€cause of
tioru and in children Irom lower socio- too hard." The pe$on I've just diagADHD. If parentsmake sure to clarify
economicback8rou\ds. Most s[mulant
nos€dcould say "I crfl'l behav€dil{erthat ADHD eryllins, not excus€swhy
abuse occurs amonS the non-ADHD
ADHD."
The
endy because I have
their child has a harder time with cerpopulation. Do we thmw the baby out
problem is, I tell the person,this js an
tain b€haviors, accommodationsthat
with the bathwater?
excuse,a cop-out.Fuithemor€, it's a lie.
I havejust rcadyet anothercynicalcommentary about Attention Deficit Disorder Newspapercolumnist,KatNeen
Parker (1997)claims that "children
hav€leam€dhow to justifybadbchavior andlousygrades.Th€ycan'theiPit,
it's ADHD...theexcused ioul."Tucked
awayin themiddle ofParker'scolumn
is the acknowledgmentthat "somechildren truly do suffer from ADHD." This
admissionalmostsoundslike an after'
thouSht. Emphasizing the leSitirnacy
and consequencesof the disorder was
clearly not the intent of this author'
ThsAoHoB€porl.13
enableand facilitate the attainnent of
the s.r? standardsbecome the loSi.al
outcorneinsteadof lower standards.
C€rtainl, mental health practitioner3,physicians,a6 well 63 Parcnts
and teach€rs of ADHD individuals
hav€ no doubts about the legitimacy
of the disorder and the efficacy of
medication as one intervention.
Th.Be ar€ the very people, how€ver,
who mu3t take incr€.sed responsibility for acclrrat€ly unde$tandint and
then disseminatint
about the disorder.
informaiion
Again. ADHD canexplainbutshould
not excuset€lEvior, Medicationfacilitates b€havior chang€but it i5 not reEponsibl€for the choicespeoplemake.
Educational accommodations are
meant to facilitat€ a mea t to an end.
dtey are not intended to modify standards. Deviationr from ther€ as6umptions that would imply a l$sened
d€r€e of rsponsibility for ADHD in-
Ihe ADHD Report. Ru8eell Balk1ey & AEsoc.
1998
P r e BE, vo 1 , 6, No. 1, Febluar y ,
dividuals thr€atens to further undermine the pr€carious tolerance society
cuirently affords th€6ep€ople.
Mles CooleV,
Ph.D.,isapriitv pnctitiono
in PalmBech Gardens,Flotidt
REFERENCES
Peks, K (1997,May25).Homework?
Atkrtion deficir-not dog-i[e it. Tft,P.lm
Bd.cftPo3l,p. E3.
Publl€hed
by Gullford