An essential characteristic of ALL “disorders” is that they are defined within specific ENVIRONMENTS and lose their diagnostic platform in other environments. In the case of ADHD, symptoms are not volitional. This means discipline (dependent as it is on a child’s ability to anticipate consequences and choose appropriate antecedent behaviors) cannot abate the symptoms.

Faced with the symptoms of ADHD (and having eliminated other masquerading conditions like lead poisoning, thyroid abnormalities, bipolar disorder and a MYRIAD of others) parents have only 3 choices to make: 1) Accept and adjust to the behaviors 2) CHANGE THE ENVIRONMENT or 3) Change brain chemistry (with medication).

In the Australian outback, inability to detect the scent of water can be termed a “Water Indetection Disorder”. Untreated, it might lead to death (choice 1); a move to New York city eliminates the “disorder” component of the diagnosis (choice 2); equipping the person with a hydrometric device to “sniff” water vapor (analagous to a prescription) abates the symptoms of the disorder (choice 3).