Ok, I have the Dr. Andrew Adesman here with me to help shed some light on the use of Ritalin. My son is 23 years old and was diagnosed with ADD just two years ago.
ADD typically is ADHD without hyperactivity.
They are similar and both require onset of symptoms prior to age 7. They are both responsive to similar treatments, typically stimulant medication. First, I am not aware of any evidence to suggest that it comes from lack of oxygen. Yes, it has a biological basis, and this clearly evident from genetic studies and adoption studies. Those same studies, as pointing out by Dr. Kopewicz on the show, confirm that this is not simply bad parenting.