III 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 649 

Designating September 18, 2008, as ‘‘National Attention Deficit Disorder 

Awareness Day’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

AUGUST 1, 2008 

Ms. CANTWELL (for herself and Mr. SMITH) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

SEPTEMBER 8, 2008 

Committee discharged; considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Designating September 18, 2008, 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; 


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SRES 649 ATS 

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 estimated 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 1⁄2 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 1⁄2

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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SRES 649 ATS 

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 18, 2008, 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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SRES 649 ATS 

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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