The Ancient Mariner Speaks: Examining Regimes of Truth in ADHD

Confronting how the number of children labeled with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has been increasing over the last 30 years, this investigation contends that the label itself does more harm than good. The study begins with a compelling and deeply personal narrative, written from the point of view of someone characterized as ADHD. Through an analysis using Foucault's theories on truth, power, and knowledge, the argument depicts how the ADHD label forces child behavior--mainly in boys--that is seen as "disruptive" out of the larger continuum into the category of problem behavior, absolving adults and social institutions of any responsibility for encouraging diversity. The book claims that this pattern only serves to exacerbate the problem for such children, singling them out and excluding them from interaction with others in the classroom.