Is ADHD a true mental disorder?
The fundamental area of controversy related to ADHD is whether or not this collection of symptoms should be considered a mental disorder. Although there are documented brain differences and significant evidence of impairment in daily functioning in individuals with ADHD, there is a large school of thought that views ADHD “symptoms” as simply an extreme expression of normal human behavior. These experts use the term “neurodiversity” to describe genetic brain-based variations in behavior (e.g., someone’s ability to concentrate or to remain calm in emergency circumstances). The neurodiversity argument suggests that because a large portion of the population shows these types of behaviors to one degree or another, then ADHD is not actually a disorder. To some, the fact that many “normal” people show ADHD behaviors, combined with knowledge that a wide range of disorders create ADHD-like symptoms suggests that ADHD is not a true mental illness. People who argue that ADHD is a true disorder ag
