responed to two classmates posts (150 words)

Read and reply to at least two other student posts ( providing 150-300 words each ).  Your reply should be relevant, substantive, and respectful.   Your reply needs to extend the original post (through examples or additional sources/information/research), challenge the original post, and/or critique the original post.

Student 1)

Recent survey of parents shows that children between the ages of 4-17(6.4 milllion) have been diagnosed with ADHD as of 2011 (CDC, 2017). However, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders show that 5% of children actually have ADHD. Boys were more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than girls. A recent study done by Peter Jensen, found that 56% met the normalization criteria for medication out of 68% (O’Connor, 2001). The symptoms of ADHD show that it interferes with a child’s ability to learn social skills. Improved social skills developed while using medication for ADHD. According to Consumer Reports, a survey was done on parents of children who were put on medication. Of the parents surveyed, children had slightly better outcomes than those who were not (Reports, 2017). Academic performance, behavior at school, social relationships, reduced hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention (Reports, 2017). Another benefit includes physical coordination (Dean, 2016).

On the other hand, children taking medication for ADHD like Ritalin, are more prone to self-administer cocaine as adults (Daw, 2001). According to Peter Breggin, director of International Center for the study of Psychiatry and Psychology, children who take ADHD medicine are more likely to use drugs other than ADHD medicine in the future. The research that has been done on if ADHD should be medically treated with medication has found different ways to manage the hyperactivity and inattention; behavioral therapy. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, behavioral therapy is an alternate way to treat ADHD children, however, MTA demonstrated that medication followed up by the intensive therapy is more effective up to 14 months. Medication alone is not the best treatment for a child. Academic performance, family relations have a higher chance of positive results with the combination of both medication and behavioral therapy. Stimulants such as, Ritalin, Adderall, Dexedrine have risks if taken for ADHD. According to the American Heart Association, children who do take medication should be tested for hidden heart problems for these stimulants increase heart rate and blood pressure (Boyles, 2008). Affects of medication include, loss of appetite, sleep problems, crying spells, and repetitive movements, stomach aches, and headaches (Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder, 2017).

References

Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Retrieved February 25, 2017, from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.nimh.nih.gov/funding/clinical-research/practical/mta/the-multimodal-treatment-of-attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-study-mta-questions-and-answers.shtml

Boyles, S. (2008, April 21). ADHD drugs: Heart screen recommended. Retrieved February 25, 2017, from WebMD, http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/childhood-adhd/news/20080421/adhd-drugs-heart-screen-recommended#4

CDC. (2017, February 14). Data & statistics. Retrieved February 25, 2017, from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/data.html

Daw, J. (2017). The Ritalin debate. Retrieved February 25, 2017, from American Psychological Association, http://www.apa.org/monitor/jun01/ritalin.aspx

Dean, D. (2016, March 22). ADHD medication pros & cons. Retrieved February 25, 2017, from http://www.livestrong.com/article/243702-adhd-medication-pros-cons/

O’Connor, E. (2011). Medicating ADHD: Too much? Too soon? Retrieved February 25, 2017, from http://www.apa.org/monitor/dec01/medicating.aspx

Reports, 2017 C. (2015, May 4). Pros and cons of ADHD medication. Retrieved February 25, 2017, from http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2013/01/the-pros-and-cons-of-treating-adhd-with-drugs/index.htm

Student 2)

The argument for and against the use of medication to control attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been a topic of focus for many years. Both arguments are neither right nor are they are wrong since there is no single set-in-stone way of relieving someone of ADHD—since every person may react differently to certain medications and to certain types of therapy. It has also been argued that professionals have often “overdiagnose and overmedicate” children who have ADHD, where others have countered that these medications are “an ADHD child’s best chance for normalcy” (O’Connor, 2010).

            Addressing ADHD with medication, however, does have benefits. A year-long study was done by Dr. Jensen where children that had met the requirements for ADHD were put into one of several groups: a group that combined medication and intensive behavioral therapy, a group that only used medication, a group that used intensive behavior therapy only, or a group that was placed in “usual care.” At the end of the year-long study, the group that had combined medication and intensive behavioral therapy had the most improvement where 68 percent of those children were shown to either have a “reduction or complete discontinuation of the behaviors, such as extreme aggression or lack of concentration.” Alternatively, Jensen’s medication group children were shown to have 56 percent of their members meeting normalization standards. Lastly, the children in the behavior therapy group, only 34 percent were “normalized” and the children in the community-care group only had 25 percent of its group members organized (O’Connor, 2001). If the case were standing on just the information of medication versus behavioral therapy, the evidence supporting medication showed that half of the children in the year-long study made a greater improvement than the children in the behavior therapy group. Equally, one could say that medication would still not be the only way to cure a child’s ADHD. Jensen’s study proved that medication and behavioral therapy was more efficient in remedying the behavior, but also proved that there is some work to be on treating the behavior without medication—seeing this method as not only a possibility, but something that could work as well. The battle for improving behavior through therapy could equally be supported by the findings were shown when the two methods were combined together. The National Institute of Mental Health added to this battle of medication versus therapy by adding the improvement of the condition only lasted “as long as 14 months” (National Institute of Mental Health, 2009). This information was also contradicted when it was revealed that the children in the medication-only group were given higher doses of medication than the children who were in the combination group. Since the dosage of the medication was lowered for the combination group members, it can be argued that the children of this particular group was proving that medication was not playing as crucial of a role as thought when it came to reducing the undesired behaviors.

            As of 2008, the American Heart Association has urged that children and teens taking the medication for management of ADHD should be screened for “hidden heart problems” (Boyles, 2008). Since this date, over 2.5 million children and teen in the United States take medication to manage their ADHD; these medications have been reported to “increase heart rates and blood pressure” (Boyles, 2008). Further studies have insinuated that ADHD is more common in children have been reported with heart problems. This fact alone may pose the argument that children may need another alternative to medication to keep their behaviors and their health under control. While the medication has proven to aid in the improvement of ADHD behaviors, but it has also been suggested that medications like Ritalin are “a possible gateway drug to other stimulants” (Daw, 2001). Only 36 percent of children who were treated with stimulants were cigarette smokers as adults, which differs vastly from the 2 percent of adults who were dependent on cocaine (Daw, 2010). There could be a variety of reasons for the dependence on drugs, however. Many children grow up and become curious about drugs and they decide one of two things—one, they try the drug and like the experience they have or, two, they try the drug and do not like the experience. The two events of having been medicated with stimulants for ADHD and having a dependence on recreational drugs are not mutually exclusive. It can be argued that a child’s experience may have affected their use of recreational drugs, this could mean that their childhood experiences would have greatly influenced their choices.

            When deciding what do about a child’s ADHD it should be suggested that all options should be exhausted before sticking to just one type of plan. Not every child reacts the same to every experience or every medication the same way that their peers do. There are lots of options to explore and there are many outcomes to consider when combating undesirable child behavior. Especially since there are so many ways for children to develop.

References:

Boyles, S. (April 21, 2008). ADHD Drugs: Heart Screen Recommended. Retrieved from

            http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/childhood-adhd/news/20080421/adhd-drugs-heart-

                        screen-recommended#1

Daw, J. (June 2001). The Ritalin Debate. Retrieved from

            http://www.apa.org/monitor/jun01/ritalin.aspx

National Institute of Mental Health. (November 2009). The Multimodal Treatment of Attention

            Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Study (MTA) Questions and Answers. Retrieved from

                        https://www.nimh.nih.gov/funding/clinical-research/practical/mta/the-

                                    multimodal-treatment-of-attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-study-

                                                mta-questions-and-answers.shtml

O’Connor, E. M. (December 2001). Medicating ADHD: Too Much? Too Soon? Retrieved from

            http://www.apa.org/monitor/dec01/medicating.aspx