Introduction

In 2007 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 4.5 million American children, roughly 7 per cent of the school-age population, had been diagnosed with hyperactivity, or what is currently referred to as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Characterized by impulsivity, inattention, over-activity, defiance and aggression, hyperactivity has been the most commonly diagnosed childhood psychiatric condition in the United States since the 1970s and stimulant drugs, such as Ritalin, have been used to treat the disorder since the 1960s. Hyperactivity has also been among the most controversial and most discussed disabilities to emerge after the Second World War. This is partly because of the powerful stimulants used to treat hyperactive children, and partly because of what the disorder implies about childhood, the education system and the way in which we perceive mental health. While many physicians have argued that hyperactivity is still underreported, critics have claimed that its existence is merely a myth constructed to curtail the natural development of children so that they conform to society's demands. Similarly, while some parents have resisted the diagnosis, believing that it labels their child unfairly, others see hyperactivity as a powerful heuristic, explaining a great deal about why their child has struggled to achieve educationally, socially and emotionally.