Aquinas students organized an informative presentation entitled “Is it ADHD or …? Diagnosis from a Neuropsychological Perspective” on one of the most misdiagnosed developmental disorders in America - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, also known as ADHD. The decision to host a discussion on this topic was made by Aquinas student members of the ASCD, an organization for professional development for educators, and will feature guest speakers Dr. Rochelle Manor and Dr. Michael Wolff from BRAINS, a psychology institute in Grand Rapids.

ADHD is classified as a developmental disorder. “There are two levels of attention disorder,” said Aquinas professor Timothy Bennett. “The first is Attention Deficit Disorder, or ADD.”

“ADD is characterized by an inability to concentrate and focus. The mind wanders, and people with this disorder become easily distracted.”

“The second level is ADHD, which is very similar to ADD, except with hyperactivity present,” said Bennett. “People with ADHD feel the need to fidget, to move around. They feel they can’t stay sitting in one place for too long.”

According to Bennett, students picked the topic because ADHD is such a commonly diagnosed disorder among school-age children. Many of those cases are not thoroughly investigated medically, and a lot are misdiagnosed.

“It may be just a change in diet or stress, especially in school-aged children,” said Bennett. “Michigan has a reputation especially for making quick diagnoses.”

“There is a very definite protocol for diagnosing ADHD, and it’s not always followed.”

The presentation will be especially useful for education students, who may be faced with hyperactive children in their classes.

A good turnout is expected for the presentation, which will take place on Nov. 19 in the Louitit Room from 2 to 4 p.m. Currently, along with Aquinas students, twenty-two other guests from the local educational field, such as high school counselors and teachers, plan to attend this very educational and useful seminar. This conference is open to all Aquinas students, the general public and all who are interested in the issue of ADHD.