III 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 295 

Designating September 19, 2007, as ‘‘National Attention Deficit Disorder 

Awareness Day’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

AUGUST 2, 2007 

Ms. CANTWELL submitted the following resolution; which was considered and 

agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Designating September 19, 2007, as ‘‘National Attention 

Deficit Disorder Awareness Day’’. 

Whereas Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (also 

known as ADHD or ADD), is a chronic neurobiological 

disorder that affects both children and adults, and can 

significantly interfere with the ability of an individual to 

regulate activity level, inhibit behavior, and attend to 

tasks in developmentally-appropriate ways; 

Whereas ADHD can cause devastating consequences, including failure in school and the workplace, antisocial behavior, encounters with the criminal justice system, interpersonal difficulties, and substance abuse; 

Whereas ADHD, the most extensively studied mental disorder in children, affects an estimated 3 to 7 percent 

(4,000,000) of young school-age children and an estimstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS

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•SRES 295 ATS 

mated 4 percent (8,000,000) of adults across racial, ethnic, and socio-economic lines; 

Whereas scientific studies indicate that between 10 and 35 

percent of children with ADHD have a first-degree relative with past or present ADHD, and that approximately one-half of parents who had ADHD have a child 

with the disorder, suggesting that ADHD runs in families and inheritance is an important risk factor; 

Whereas despite the serious consequences that can manifest 

in the family and life experiences of an individual with 

ADHD, studies indicate that less than 85 percent of 

adults with the disorder are diagnosed and less than half 

of children and adults with the disorder receive treatment 

and, furthermore, poor and minority communities are 

particularly underserved by ADHD resources; 

Whereas the Surgeon General, the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American 

Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Psychological Association, the American Academy of 

Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Mental Health, 

among others, recognize the need for proper diagnosis, 

education, and treatment of ADHD; 

Whereas the lack of public knowledge and understanding of 

the disorder play a significant role in the overwhelming 

numbers of undiagnosed and untreated cases of ADHD, 

and the dissemination of inaccurate, misleading information contributes as an obstacle for diagnosis and treatment; 

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Whereas lack of knowledge combined with issues of stigma 

have a particularly detrimental effect on the diagnosis 

and treatment of the disorder; 

Whereas there is a need for education of health care professionals, employers, and educators about the disorder and 

a need for well-trained mental health professionals capable of conducting proper diagnosis and treatment activities; and 

Whereas studies by the National Institute of Mental Health 

and others consistently reveal that through proper comprehensive diagnosis and treatment, the symptoms of 

ADHD can be substantially decreased and quality of life 

can be improved: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates September 19, 2007, as ‘‘Na3 tional Attention Deficit Disorder Awareness Day’’; 

4 (2) recognizes Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity 

5 Disorder (ADHD) as a major public health concern; 

6 (3) encourages all Americans to find out more 

7 about ADHD, support ADHD mental health serv8 ices, and seek the appropriate treatment and sup9 port, if necessary; 

10 (4) expresses the sense of the Senate that the 

11 Federal Government has a responsibility to— 

12 (A) endeavor to raise awareness about 

13 ADHD; and 

14 (B) continue to consider ways to improve 

15 access and quality of mental health services 

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1 dedicated to improving the quality of life of 

2 children and adults with ADHD; and 

3 (5) calls on Federal, State, and local adminis4 trators and the people of the United States to ob5 serve the day with appropriate programs and activi6 ties. 

Æ 

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