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Are Children Born with A.D.D. or Is It Caused By Experience?

A recent article in the New York Times by L. Alan Sroufe, a psychology professor at the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Child Development raises questions about efficacy of the high consumption of prescription drugs to treat children with Attention Deficit Disorder (A.D.D.). It is estimated that about 6 million children are diagnosed with A.D.D./A.D.H.D. and take prescription drugs to treat it in the United States. However, there have been no studies to prove the long term effects of A.D.D. medication. Most studies that are used to show the success of ritalin and adderall are only successful on the short term. Many find that the efficacy of these medications ware off as children become immune to them.
Sroufe says, “Ritalin and Adderall, a combination of dextroamphetamine and amphetamine, are stimulants. So why do they appear to calm children down? Some experts argued that because the brains of children with attention problems were different, the drugs had a mysterious paradoxical effect on them. However, there really was no paradox. Versions of these drugs had been given to World War II radar operators to help them stay awake and focus on boring, repetitive tasks. And when we reviewed the literature on attention-deficit drugs again in 1990 we found that all children, whether they had attention problems or not, responded to stimulant drugs the same way.” On the short term people respond to these drugs the same way, but after taking them for a long time they develop resistance to them.
Sroufe goes on to suggest that A.D.D. is a problem shaped by children’s experience rather than an inborn biological problem. The problem is that when studying A.D.D. in children the brain is most often studied because it is taken as a given that this problem is biological while the experiential side is often ignored. “…are there aspects of brain functioning associated with childhood attention problems? The answer is always yes. Overlooked is the very real possibility that both the brain anomalies and the A.D.D. result from experience.”
What do you think about giving medication to children with A.D.D.? Do you think it is safe and effective or should it be brought into question?
Do you think that A.D.D. may be a result of experience rather than an inborn problem?
Please leave a comment with your responses!
Paula Tipton-Healy L.M, CiHom
Homeopathic & Nutritional Consultant



