Reading Response 1: Are Drugs necessary? A Personal View on the topic.

Giovanna Riccio

West Virginia University

The variable that underlies the recent and steep rise of children diagnosed with ADHD, as

proposed by many psychologists, is that ADHD was often confused with hyperactivity, simple laziness, or

just unwillingness to perform tasks like homework, reading, or sitting still at the dinner table. Since

ADHD has been increasingly recognized as a behavioral disorder, the use of medication to treat such

behavior has also increased. Some suggest that the use of medication is necessary; others believe that

other means can be used such as behavior modification therapy. The article (Lee, M. (2007). Point: Safe,

Effective, and Life-Changing Medication. Points of View Reference Center, p2-2. Retrieved February

9, 2008, from EBESCOhost database) underlines the necessity of medication, as well as behavior
modification therapy in order to treat ADHD. However, the article does seem to favor the use of

medication more than that of therapy. My opinion lies with those that state that medication is an easy fix

that is used to benefit parents and peers more than the patient himself.

Before living in West Virginia I lived in Naples, Italy where I worked at the NAVY Elementary

Schoolas a teachers’ assistant. Many times I supervised children with ADHD and autism. Firsthand

experience has shown me that children with behavioral disorders suffer emotionally in that they

“perceive” they are different, and socially in that they are “treated” different by peers and teachers. I have

observed the instant change in behavior when a child was on or off their medication, as well as

witnessing the persistent feeling of inadequacy in their behaviors whether they were on their medication

or not. More often than not, teachers incorporated behavior modification therapy when the child was on

medication; when not on medication teachers were more likely to openly release their frustration and

impatience on the child. Many children in the school in which I worked suffered from ADHD. I assume

that moving to foreign countries and having to continuously familiarize with new people and cultures

(typical military lifestyle) may cause stress to a child and could possibly become a trigger for such

disorder (in some cases). Sometimes the use of medication is unavoidable. However, the fact that children

affected by such disorder are treated as if they were the disorder rather than affected by a disorder may

contribute to their social inadequacy.

References

Lee, M. (2007). Point: Safe, Effective, and Life-Changing Medication. Points of View Reference

Center, p2-2. Retrieved February 9, 2008, from EBESCOhost database.

Reading Response 1: Are Drugs necessary? A Personal View on the topic.

Giovanna Riccio

West Virginia University