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ADD/ADHD News

August 2nd 2004

USA 1st Official ADHD Awareness Day

We have just been made aware of this fantastic news from the USA - where the US Senate have made a Resolution and Declares September 7th AD/HD Awareness Day

This is fantastic news and we at adders.org wish to congratulate all of those in the USA who have worked long and hard for this to happen. We also hope that maybe our own Government may follow suit and discuss the possibility of the same thing happening this side of the pond. There have been many dedicated people working very hard behind the scenes here in the UK to try to get something similar to happen here so we hope that this will be a great encouragement for all to draw from as we all know that ADDA and others have been working in the USA for even longer than we have over here to get ADD/ADHD recognised by the Government. Let's just hope it does not end up taking us as long as it has them and that our own Government will take note of this and work with us to have ADD/ADHD more recognised and more services in place in the very near future!

The folowing report is from Michele Novotni, CEO, ADDA along with the report from the US Senate direct.

"Senate Resolution Declares September 7th AD/HD Awareness Day

POTTSTOWN , PA - The Attention Deficit Disorder Association today announces success in its effort to spearhead passage of a U.S. Senate resolution designating a "National Attention Deficit Disorder Awareness Day" on September 7, 2004 - a major step toward accomplishing ADDA's goal of spreading vital information and encouragement.

The resolution, introduced by Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington and co-sponsored by Senator Richard Durbin (D-Illinois), recognizes Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) as a major public health concern. AD/HD is the formal name for what is well known as Attention Deficit Disorder or ADD.

"There continues to be a dearth of information about AD/HD, and often times what information there is may be inaccurate or misleading. My hope in identifying a National Awareness Day for AD/HD is to encourage an honest discussion about AD/HD, its impact on children and adults in schools, in the workplace, and in relationships, and encourage sufferers to seek relief," stated Cantwell.

The Senate resolution "expresses the sense of the Senate that the Federal Government has a responsibility to … endeavor to raise public awareness about AD/HD and … continue to consider ways to improve access to, and the quality of, mental health services dedicated to the purpose of improving the quality of life for children and adults with AD/HD." ADDA plans to co-ordinate numerous activities nationwide in conjunction with ADD Awareness Day. Events are currently being organized to provide free public screenings, to spread the message about AD/HD's impact as well as treatment options and to help counter the stigma and embarrassment that people with Attention Deficit Disorder often feel.

"AD/HD is a real disorder that can have potentially devastating effects for individuals and their families when left undiagnosed and untreated," said ADDA CEO Michele Novotni, Ph.D. "The good news is that with proper treatment, people with AD/HD can go on to lead successful, fulfilling lives." National ADD Awareness Day will go a long way toward getting information about the disorder out to people who need it so they can overcome the negative effects. ADDA President David Giwerc added, "ADDA will be working with several other healthcare education organizations, such as the National Mental Health Association and the American Psychiatric Association, to coordinate National ADD Awareness Day activities."

AD/HD is a disorder of the brain that affects an estimated 3-to-7 percent of school-age children and an estimated 4 percent of adults across racial, ethnic and socioeconomic lines. People with AD/HD typically exhibit inappropriate impulsivity, problems with inattention and - in some cases - hyperactivity. Until recently AD/HD was thought to occur only in childhood. ADDA, the world's leading source of information and support for Adult AD/HD, provides information, resources and networking opportunities to help adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) lead better lives.

Supporting organizations included: National Mental Health Association; American Counseling Association; American Psychiatric Association; Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder; and Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health.

For more information about AD/HD or National Attention Deficit Disorder Awareness Day, contact Victoria Sandoe Burkhart at (484) 945-2101, or Evelyn Green at egreen@add.org."

The following is the actual official resolution:

"SRES 370 ATS

108th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 370

Designating September 7, 2004, as `National Attention Deficit Disorder Awareness Day'.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

June 7, 2004

Ms. CANTWELL (for herself and Mr. DURBIN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

June 18, 2004

Reported by Mr. HATCH, without amendment

July 6, 2004

Considered and agreed to

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RESOLUTION

Designating September 7, 2004, as `National Attention Deficit Disorder Awareness Day'.

Whereas Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (also known as AD/HD or ADD), is a chronic neurobiological disorder, affecting both children and adults, that can significantly interfere with an individual's ability to regulate activity level, inhibit behavior, and attend to tasks in developmentally appropriate ways;

Whereas AD/HD can cause devastating consequences, including failure in school and the workplace, antisocial behavior, encounters with the justice system, interpersonal difficulties, and substance abuse;

Whereas AD/HD, the most extensively studied mental disorder in children, affects an estimated 3 percent to 7 percent (2,000,000) of young school-age children and an estimated 4 percent (8,000,000) of adults across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic lines;

Whereas scientific studies clearly indicate that AD/HD runs in families and suggest that genetic inheritance is an important risk factor, with between 10 and 35 percent of children with AD/HD having a first-degree relative with past or present AD/HD, and with approximately 50 percent of parents who had AD/HD having a child with the disorder;

Whereas despite the serious consequences that can manifest in the family and life experiences of an individual with AD/HD, studies indicate that less than 85 percent of adults with the disorder are diagnosed and less than half of children and adults with the disorder are receiving treatment;

Whereas poor and minority communities are particularly underserved by AD/HD resources;

Whereas the Surgeon General, the American Medical Association (AMA), the American Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), the American Psychological Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Institute of Mental Health, among others, recognize the need for proper diagnosis, education, and treatment of AD/HD;

Whereas the lack of public knowledge and understanding of the disorder play a significant role in the overwhelming numbers of undiagnosed and untreated cases of AD/HD, and the dissemination of inaccurate, misleading information contributes to the obstacles preventing diagnosis and treatment of the disorder;

Whereas lack of knowledge, combined with the issue of stigma associated with AD/HD, has a particularly detrimental effect on the diagnosis and treatment of AD/HD;

Whereas there is a need to educate health care professionals, employers, and educators about the disorder and a need for well-trained mental health professionals capable of conducting proper diagnosis and treatment activities; and Whereas studies by the National Institute of Mental Health and others consistently reveal that through proper and comprehensive diagnosis and treatment, the symptoms of AD/HD can be substantially decreased and quality of life for the individual can be improved: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate--

(1) designates September 7, 2004, as `National Attention Deficit Disorder Awareness Day';

(2) recognizes Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) as a major public health concern;

(3) encourages all people of the United States to find out more about AD/HD and its supporting mental health services, and to seek the appropriate treatment and support, if necessary;

(4) expresses the sense of the Senate that the Federal Government has a responsibility to--

(A) endeavor to raise public awareness about AD/HD; and

(B) continue to consider ways to improve access to, and the quality of, mental health services dedicated to the purpose of improving the quality of life for children and adults with AD/HD; and

(5) requests that the President issue a proclamation calling on Federal, State and local administrators and the people of the United States to observe the day with appropriate programs and activities.

END"

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