Myth: Compensating for ADD (e.g. giving extra time on tests in school) is unfair to other people. Reality: Legally, a student with ADD is covered by both US Public Law 94-1942 (Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) and Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Under these laws, schools are […]
Category: A.D.D. Myths and Realities
Myth: Medication for ADD can lead to drug abuse and addiction.
Myth: Medication for ADD can lead to drug abuse and addiction. Besides, taking medication is a crutch. People should be able to maintain control through their own willpower. Reality: Contrary to what many people would assume, statistics show that youngsters with ADD who are properly medicated as soon as their ADD is identified rarely abuse […]
Myth: Non-medical approaches are effective in treating ADD.
Myth: Non-medical approaches, such as biofeedback, are effective in treating ADD. Reality: Most specialists, even non-medical professionals, now acknowledge that stimulant medication is the “gold standard” for the treatment of ADD. Certainly, other interventions, such as counseling, coaching, and behavior modification, are useful in tandem with medication. But science has not shown that biofeedback (recently […]
Myth: Poor diet and/or environmental conditions are responsible for ADD.
Myth: Poor diet and/or environmental conditions [allergies, pollution, sugar, food additives] are responsible for ADD. Reality: Again, ADD is an inherited, neurobiological condition. There is little scientific evidence that any dietary or environmental causes exist for ADD , although these ideas continue to be explored. A perfect example of the public’s misinformation on this subject […]
Myth: People with ADD tend to be unintelligent
Myth: People with ADD tend to be unintelligent and probably never will be successful in school or careers. Reality: Most ADDers are not lacking in intelligence, and many are well above average, even gifted. In addition, they often are highly creative and intuitive. They still have academic difficulties because of the way their nervous systems […]
Myth: ADD occurs much more in boys than in girls.
Myth: ADD occurs much more in boys than in girls. Reality: In the past, boys have been diagnosed as hyperactive at about six to ten times the rate for girls. The reality is that the ratio is closer to fifty-fifty. Society expects that “boys will be boys” and bounce off walls, while conditioning little girls […]
Myth: People with ADD are always “hyper.”
Myth: People with ADD are always “hyper.” Reality: Before continuing, let’s clear up the confusion between the terms “ADD” and “ADHD.” The official diagnostic categories according to the DSM IV of the American Psychiatric Association all use the heading “ADHD.” According to the manual, there are three subtypes of ADHD: predominantly inattentive type; predominantly impulsive, […]
Myth: ADD goes away with age, usually around puberty.
Myth: ADD goes away with age, usually around puberty. Reality: ADD becomes evident in early childhood and usually continues throughout a person’s life., The most popular myth about ADD is that it disappears when childhood ends. On the contrary, experts now believe that the condition lasts a lifetime. How, then, does one account for the […]
Myth: ADD can be determined by psychological and/or physiological testing.
Myth: The existence of ADD can be determined by psychological and/or physiological testing. Reality: According to CH.A.D.D., the major national organization which deals with ADD, there is no definitive test for ADD, not a pencil and paper psychological test, a computer test, a blood test, or an x-ray. PET Scans have documented certain changes in […]
Myth: ADD is being over diagnosed.
Myth: ADD is being over diagnosed. It’s really just some “yuppie” excuse for poor parenting. Reality: If anything, ADD is under-diagnosed and often misdiagnosed. Although piles of books exist on the subject and modern teacher training programs do include some training in ADD and learning disabilities, there still is a major lack of awareness about […]
