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| AD/HD Education Initiative Continues With Support from U.S. Senators CHADD Senate Briefing Dispels Myths About AD/HD LANDOVER, Md., Oct. 3 (PRNewswire) Concerned with the "junk science" surrounding depictions of AD/HD, today CHADD went directly to Capitol Hill where it hosted an education briefing on the disorder for members of the United States Senate. Sponsored by Sens. Arlen Specter (R-PA), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Christopher Dodd (D-CT), and Mike DeWine (R-OH), parents and scientists from the top federal health agencies discussed and explained the realities of AD/HD, including the consequences of underdiagnosis, misdiagnosis, and the lack of appropriate treatment. "Several million people have now heard the Initiative's message that AD/HD is a real disorder and that reliable information is available," said E. Clarke Ross, D.P.A., and chief executive officer of CHADD. "Today, we hope to provide policy makers with accurate, science-based knowledge so that they can responsibly move forward in making choices that will have a positive outcome on the generations to come." AD/HD is a neurobiological disorder(1) that affects three-to-five percent of school-age children, according to the American Psychiatric Association and peer-reviewed, published studies.(2)(3)(4) AD/HD is characterized by developmentally inappropriate impulsivity, attention, and in some cases, hyperactivity. Until recently, it was believed that children outgrew the disorder in adolescence because of an observed decline in hyperactivity during this period. It is now known that AD/HD nearly always persists from childhood through adolescence and that many symptoms continue into adulthood. Current research reflects rates of roughly two to four percent among adults.(5) Centered on the theme, "Just A.S.K." (AD/HD. Science. Knowledge.), CHADD's multi-year Initiative is designed to dispel the many myths and misperceptions that surround the disorder and to separate fact from fiction. Launched this past June with a successful House briefing co-sponsored by Reps. Jo Ann Davis (R-VA) and Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), the campaign works to increase public awareness of AD/HD while dispelling common myths and misperceptions surrounding the disorder. "In real estate, the three most important criteria are location, location, location; in AD/HD and children's mental health, it's diagnosis, diagnosis, diagnosis," said Harold Koplewicz, M.D., founder and director of the New York University Child Study Center and Arnold and Debbie Simon Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. "While much of the public confusion focuses on misdiagnosed AD/HD and the problems that arise, underdiagnosis and undertreatment remain far more significant problems." |
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