University Honors

The medicalization of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) in the United States has been a significant phenomenon that has greatly impacted the country’s education system for both ADHD youth and educators. Due in part to the advocacy group CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) in the late 1980s, the use of stimulant medication in the US is significantly greater than in any other country in the world, and is prevalent among children who display symptoms of ADHD – primarily hyperactivity. With its widespread popularization from the 1990s to the early 2000s, the medicalization process came under harsh scrutiny, having been interpreted by some scholars as medicating to achieve conformity. This research paper will first present the history of the ADHD diagnosis and its evolution in the United States up until the 1990s. Then, using primary and secondary sources such as documentaries and related research, this paper will explore the role and consequences of the teacher as a cornerstone of the diagnostic process, in tandem with the spread of information – and misinformation – by CHADD during that time period. At its core, this paper will provide an examination of the medicalization of ADHD, the interplay between “experts” and the public, and students and teachers.