The Numbers Can Be Mind Blowing ! Ever Since Attention...

The numbers can be mind-blowing! Ever since Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has been surveyed on a national level the numbers of affected persons diagnosed with the disorder has continued to climb. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013) ADHD was first surveyed, using input from parents and providers, in 1997. Not only have numbers of diagnosed patients and population percentage with the disorder shown an upward trend in growth, so have the number of available prescription medications used to treat the disorder. There is no doubt that there are other means of treating ADHD and many parents and providers may decide an anti-medication approach by utilizing improving behavioral/cognitive therapy practices and techniques. Still though, it seems that it is assumed that medication is the most popular and effective treatment method used to treat and/or maintain the symptoms of the disorder. While medications can possibly be effectiv e means to treat the disorder for both children and adults the following review focuses primarily on children and adolescent persons under the age of 18. The primary goal of this literature review is to determine the effectiveness of the prescription drugs (as a whole) that are used to treat Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and to briefly discuss the history, statistics, and symptoms of the disorder by examining and answering the following: 1. What is Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity