In Chapter 9, "Medical Options for ADHD", you write "it is inherently unfair to expect someone with a neurologically-based disorder to overcome it through effort and willpower alone" (p. 178). Could you explain in what ways medication can help children with ADHD?
People suggest all sorts of causes, but in the end the research is clear, ADHD is a medical condition. The parts of the brain responsible for self-regulation as a whole aren’t active enough; it’s not only about inattention or impulsiveness. When used well, medications stimulate this underactive region to work more efficiently. The research regarding potential benefits is clear. They have a far greater impact on ADHD symptoms than anything else studied so far. Medications don’t fix everything on their own, but they allow someone to regulate their behavior who otherwise can’t.
You’ve said that ADHD is not about inattention, or impulsiveness, or hyperactivity, even though that’s how most people think about it. Could you explain more about that?
The symptoms that give ADHD its name are part of a much larger group of skills called ‘executive function.’ Executive function is like the brain manager, coordinating planning and organizing thoughts, as well as monitoring behavior and how we express our emotions. Practically speaking, children with ADHD have a developmental delay in some or all of these abilities. It’s not that they don’t want to do what’s being asked of them, it’s that they can’t until they’ve been taught how.
