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"New findings from today's ADHD Awareness survey underscore the urgency ofawareness, reducing stigma, and making sure every parent gets the help theyneed to deal with ADHD," says Dr. Jane L. Delgado, president and chiefexecutive officer of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health. "As apsychologist and parent, I have seen families struggle with ADHD. Everyparent of a child with ADHD needs to know support is available, and that withappropriate education and treatment, their child can have a productive,creative, and successful life."
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The ADHD Awareness survey was designed to revisit data collected as partof the Cultural Attitudes & Perceptions about Attention Deficit HyperactivityDisorder survey previously conducted in 2002 for McNeil Pediatrics. Keyfindings from the 2007 released today include:
Help for Parents
To mark National ADHD Awareness Day, the Alliance announced the release ofa new bilingual fact sheet on ADHD. The Alliance also announced theavailability of personalized assistance for parents through the Alliance's SuFamilia (Your Family) National Hispanic Family Health Helpline (1-866-783-2645) to learn more about ADHD and health services in their community. Formore information, parents can also text the keyword ADHD to 30644.
In addition, the Alliance announced the second printing of a freebilingual guide to help parents recognize ADHD and learn about the rights ofchildren with disabilities to a quality education and support services in thepublic schools. The guide was originally developed by the Alliance incollaboration with Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/HyperactivityDisorder (CHADD).
This step-by-step guide explains the policies and procedures that publicschools must follow in order to provide appropriate public education tochildren with disabilities. The guide provides resources and valuablescenarios that can help parents determine if their child needs to be evaluatedfor ADHD and what they can do to become effective advocates to ensure theirchild gets the support they need.
For more information, please visit www.hispanichealth.org.
About ADHD
According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), aboutfour million children and adolescents in the U.S. have ADHD. The NationalInstitute of Mental Health states that there are several types ofprofessionals who typically diagnose ADHD. According to the Diagnostic andStatistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM/IV), the fundamental feature ofADHD is a constant pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivitythat is more frequently displayed and more severe than is typically observedin individuals at a similar level of development. To receive a diagnosis,symptoms must be present in at least two settings and must have persisted forat least six months. In addition, six or more symptoms of inattention orhyperactivity-impulsivity, or both must be present. Usually, the disorder isfirst diagnosed during elementary school years, when school adjustment iscompromised.
About the ADHD Awareness Survey
The 2007 ADHD Awareness Survey was conducted for the National Alliance forHispanic Health by Richard Day Research, Inc., with the support of McNeilPediatrics, a Division of McNeil-PPC, Inc. The surve
