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Alana Poole

Connie Douglas

English 112

30 March 2017

One Argument and Three Voices

Every argument has multiple sides and viewpoints, right? Those sides and viewpoints are

also known as voices. Throughout this essay, Im going to discuss the three main voices found in

the controversial issue of treating ADHD also known as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

in children and young adults with prescribed medication. The three main voices in this issue

belong to the parents of ADHD children and young adults, doctors, and society as a whole.

The treatment of children and young adults ADHD with medication is so controversial

because medication is the most common form of treatment used for treating ADHD. The most

common medications are Adderall, Ritalin, and Concerta which come with side effects like

weight loss, moodiness, headaches, sleep problems, and etc. The opposition is that there are other

treatments for ADHD that are effective like behavior therapy that have zero side effects and

dont require children taking stimulants or medications.

The parents of ADHD children and young adults have the biggest and most dominant

voice in this issue. Parents are the ultimate decision makers because they choose, accept, or

allow whatever treatment their child undergoes. Parents view them allowing the treatment of

their childs ADHD with medications, as them doing what the doctor or pediatricians

recommended, and not what they personally want for their children. They also have concerns
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about if medication is really the safest and best option for their children, and Cathryn Galanter

provides support for this in her article titled Limited Support for the Efficacy of

Nonpharmacological Treatments for the Core Symptoms of ADHD, by stating Stimulant

medication is the first-line treatment for uncomplicated ADHD because of its demonstrated

efficacy. However, families often have concerns about starting and continuing with medication.

Doctors have a very influential voice over the parents of ADHD childrens voice in this

issue because theyre the ones who are recommending the treatment options to the parents.

Doctors view medication as a first line of treatment for ADHD. (Miller.) The authors of the

article titled Skills Versus Pills: Psychosocial Treatments for ADHD in Childhood and

Adolescence state that Clinicians play a crucial role in educating families about risks

associated with untreated ADHD, explaining medication and behavioral treatment approaches,

and troubleshooting treatment barriers. (Schoenfelder, et al.) The doctors main voice in this

issue is really to recommend treatment options, support, and reassure to the parents of ADHD

children.

Societys voice in this issue is from people who disagree and judge parents who choose to

have their childrens ADHD treated by medication. Basically, societys voice represents anyone

who is not a parent of ADHD children. Author, Caroline Miller, provides an example of this in

her article by stating We've seen a series of very emotional articles recently charging that too

many kids are being diagnosed with the disorderif it is a disorder at alland especially that

too many kids are being medicated, she then states It can be very disturbing for parents to be

told they're overmedicating kids, especially by people who seem to have little direct experience

with the medicationor the kids it's being prescribed to. (Miller. 2012) This would also include

other parents or people who do not have ADHD children but look down on parents with ADHD
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children because of how they choose to treat their own child. Society believes that parents of

ADHD children should try every nonmedication treatment option before resorting to

medications/stimulants.

Overall, the voice of the parents of ADHD children, the voice of doctors/pediatricians,

and the voice of society as a whole all show this issue from three completely different

perspectives. By having three completely different perspectives to compare, it showed which

voice was the strongest and which was the weakest. The parents of ADHD children have the

strongest voice in this issue, while doctors have the next strongest voice in this issue, and that

leaves society with the weakest voice in this issue.

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Works Cited

Galanter, Cathryn A. "Limited Support for the Efficacy of Nonpharmacological Treatments for the

Core Symptoms of ADHD." The American Journal of Psychiatry, vol. 170, no. 3, 2013, pp. 241-

244, ProQuest Central, http://ezproxy.cpcc.edu/login?

url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1368605636?accountid=100

Miller, Caroline. "Drugs Are an Effective Treatment for Attention- Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder."

Behavioral Disorders, edited by Roman Espejo, Greenhaven Press, 2014. Opposing Viewpoints.

Opposing Viewpoints in Context, ezproxy.cpcc.edu/login?

url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010640243/OVIC?u=centralp&xid=c7e8467c.

Accessed 30 Mar. 2017. Originally published as "The Facts on ADHD Medications,", 16 Apr.

2012.

Schoenfelder, Erin N., and Tyler Sasser. "Skills Versus Pills: Psychosocial Treatments for ADHD in

Childhood and Adolescence." Pediatric annals, vol. 45, no. 10, 2016, pp. e367-372, Research

Library, http://ezproxy.cpcc.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1828187404?

accountid=10008, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3928/19382359-20160920-04.