Jennifer Erkulwater

ADHD and the Rise in Stimulant Use Among Children

&NA; Attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) holds the distinction of being the most extensively studied pediatric mental disorder and one of the most controversial, in part because it is also the most commonly diagnosed mental disorder among minors. Currently, almost 8% of youth aged 4 to 17 years have a diagnosis of ADHD, and approximately 4.5% both have the diagnosis and are using a stimulant (methylphenidate or amphetamine) as treatment for the disorder. Yet a diagnosis of ADHD is not simply a private medical finding; it carries with it a host of policy ramifications. The enduring controversy over ADHD in the public arena therefore reflects the discomfort over what happens when science is translated into policies and rules that govern how children will be treated medically, educationally, and legally. This article (1) summarizes the existing knowledge of ADHD, (2) provides the relevant history and trends, (3) explains the controversy, (4) discusses what is and is not unique about ADHD and stimulant pharmacotherapy, (5) outlines future directions of research, and (6) concludes with a brief analysis of how two North Carolina counties have established community protocols that have improved the screening, treatment, and societal consensus over ADHD and stimulants.

Testing the effectiveness of a number-based classroom exercise:

Large numbers permeate political life, and students of political science can expect to encounter a wide range of numbers in newspaper articles, course readings, and statistics. Recent research in cognitive psychology demonstrates that American adults make systematic errors when comparing numbers in the millions, billions, and trillions. Political decisions made by voters often require weighing large quantities that range across many orders of magnitude, which is difficult without at least a basic understanding of relative magnitudes. If students also lack an understanding of large numbers, professors cannot meaningfully teach them about political phenomena involving such magnitudes. The authors designed and tested an exercise to improve students’ accuracy in dealing with large magnitudes, which had immediate and sustained eff ects on their political judgments about information involving large numbers. “The proposal will raise 2014 spending for the full fi scal year to

Medicating Children: ADHD and Pediatric Mental Health

1.012 trillion. It would save

Disability Rights and the American Social Safety Net

85 billion while eliminating

Medicating Kids: Pediatric Mental Health Policy and the Tipping Point for ADHD and Stimulants

63 billion in forced spending cuts to the military and other programs through sequestration to achieve total defi cit reduction of

Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income

23 billion, budget leaders said.”