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(October 3, 2003) - 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."
With 20,000 members and 232 chapters in 44 states and Puerto Rico, CHADD is an advocacy organization for people affected by AD/HD.
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."
Dr. Koplewicz was among a panel of distinguished experts at today's Senate briefing. Other panel members include:
Twenty-one leading healthcare and education professional organizations and patient advocacy groups joined CHADD as partners for the briefing, affirming the legitimacy and the science behind AD/HD. Among them: American Academy of Pediatrics, American Association of School Administrators, American Counseling Association, American Psychiatric Association, Attention Deficit Disorder Association, Anxiety Disorders Association of America, Child & Adolescent Bipolar Foundation, Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders, Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health, Learning Disabilities Association of America, National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, National Association for Children's Behavioral Health, National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems, National Association of School Psychologists, National Association of Social Workers, National Center for Learning Disabilities, National Initiative for Children's Healthcare Quality, National Mental Health Association, School Social Work Association of America, and the Tourette Syndrome Association, Inc.
The AD/HD Education Initiative is made possible by unrestricted grants from Eli Lilly and Company, Janssen Pharmaceutica Products, L.P., McNeil Consumer & Specialty Pharmaceuticals, and Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp.
Source: CHADD
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