By Brian Carnell

Friday, February 7, 2003

Michael Fumento has a long piece in the February 2, 2003 issue of The New Republic taking on conservatives who have labeled Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder as hoaxes.

According to Fumento,

Many conservative writers, myself included, have criticized the growing tendency to pathologize every undesirable behavior -- especially where children are concerned. But, when it comes to ADHD, this skepticism is misplaced. As even a cursory examination of the existing literature or, for that matter, simply talking to the parents and children with ADHD reveals, the condition is real, and it is treatable.

Fumento debunks several myths about ADHD that have appeared in conservative publications, including Francis Fukuyama's bizarre claim that Prozac is being used to create a more androgynous society, and the nonsense that children on Ritalin and other drugs are "zombies."

One thing Fumento doesn't mention in his survey of conservative opinion, is that there is plenty of pseudoscience to go around among people who accept the ADD/ADHD diagnosis. For example, despite any scientific evidence that it actually works, many folks swear up and down by special diets which eliminate sugar or food dyes or any of a number of "food additives of the month."

Source:

Trick Question: A Liberal Hoax Turns Out to Be True. Michael Fumento, The New Republic, February 2, 2003.

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