Thomas J.

Gresham

Professor Malcolm Campbell

UWRT 1104

February 10th 2017

ADHD off the pill: Combating ADHD with a Variety of Methods

Introduction/Overview

I will attempt to examine alternative methods to treat school age children who

demonstrate symptoms of ADHD. Many people in the education community feel that students

are generally over medicated and over diagnosed for/with ADHD. Many ADHD medications

come with incredibly strong and personality altering side effects. While ADHD medication can

be a viable option for many students, how can alternative methods on their own or in

combination with medication help support students and student learning?

According to The Child Mind Institute side effects of ADHD medication can include but

are not limited to Delayed Growth, Moodiness & irritability, lack of appetite, headache &

stomachache, and sleep problems. While some of these side effects can be avoided by changing

the type of medication and the dosage many persist.

According to the American Psychological Association behavioral interventions and

healthy lifestyle changes can often be effective methods to treat ADHD without the use of

medication.

In order to learn more about my topic I conducted online research using library databases

and scholarly search engines. I also spoke with much familys who have children with ADHD. I

found many medical and physiological organizations that focused specifically on school age

children. When I spoke to familys directly affected by ADHD I asked if the Family member was
on medication, If so how did the medication alter the day to day life of the child? If not what

ways did the family find most effective to cope with ADHD. The questions I asked often pointed

me to the mood and personality of children on ADHD medications.

The positive effects of ADHD medication and alternative methods of treatment are often

discussed in school settings. Many families feel that medication is the only chance that their

children have to be successful in a traditional classroom setting. While other families feel that

medication prescribed alters the personality of children incredibly and that the side effects

included are often times just as difficult if not more difficult to cope with than ADHD. Teachers

also have opinions of the effect of ADHD medication on students in the classroom which vary,

however they are not as relevant as the parents and childrens opinion.

Initial Inquiry Question(s)

While ADHD medication can be a helpful tool for treating students with ADHD, how can

alternative methods be implemented to support students ability to learn in the classroom?

My Interest in this Topic

This topic is close to home for me. I have a younger brother who was recently diagnosed

with ADHD. I witnessed his personality changed drastically while under the influence of the

medication with no increase in his ability to perform in school. When he began to take himself

off the medication his personality reverted to its typical state. He was most successful with

combating his ADHD when he was not under the influence of medication and he used alternative

methods.

1. What do you already know?

At The moment I know that within the U.S. there is a major problem with the overdiagnosis and

overmedication of school age children with ADHD. While medication can help students combat
ADHD, it can also have personality altering effects along with effects on appetite and growth.

2. What do you hope to learn?

Over the course of my inquiry I hope to understand the extent of the effects of ADHD

medication. I also hope to learn how effective alternate methods of ADHD treatment are, and if

ADHD medication can be replaced entirely with alternate methods of treatment.

Next Steps

To further my research I will be searching the ERIC database for any correlation between ADHD

medication and academic success. I will then compare those results to any studies I can find

about the correlation between alternative treatments for ADHD and school success. I will

personally discuss with families about the effects ADHD medication has had on school age

children and any alternative ways which they have treated ADHD.

Hannahs Comment: I really like this topic. I have a friend who has ADHD who I did not know

had ADHD until he started taking his meds again and I saw his personality change. While I do

think medication is good for severe cases, most are minor and behavioral modifications are the

way to go. In terms of content, it was good. Your ideas were clear, concise, and there are little to

no grammatical errors. I also like how you are using other peoples personal experiences to

justify your position on the issue. It tones down all of the medical terms and drug names and

makes it feel closer to home. Overall, great work!

Michelles comment: I really liked how clear your paper was. It was straightforward, included

reliable sources and facts, and thoroughly explained your reasoning behind it. There are some

minor grammatical errors I would fix. I would also say to add more questions because I feel like

it would help you brainstorm new ideas for your paper.