[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 98 (Tuesday, July 19, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S8490]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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 SENATE RESOLUTION 201--DESIGNATING SEPTEMBER 14, 2005, AS ``NATIONAL 
               ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER AWARENESS DAY''

  Ms. CANTWELL (for herself and Mr. Durbin) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 201

       Whereas Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (also 
     known as AD/HD or ADD), is a chronic neurobiological 
     disorder, affecting both children and adults, that can 
     significantly interfere with an individual's ability to 
     regulate activity level, inhibit behavior, and attend to 
     tasks in developmentally appropriate ways;
       Whereas AD/HD can cause devastating consequences, including 
     failure in school and the workplace, antisocial behavior, 
     encounters with the justice system, interpersonal 
     difficulties, and substance abuse;
       Whereas AD/HD, the most extensively studied mental disorder 
     in children, affects an estimated 3 percent to 7 percent 
     (2,000,000) of young school-age children and an estimated 4 
     percent (8,000,000) of adults across racial, ethnic, and 
     socioeconomic lines;
       Whereas scientific studies clearly indicate that AD/HD runs 
     in families and suggest that genetic inheritance is an 
     important risk factor, with between 10 and 35 percent of 
     children with AD/HD having a first-degree relative with past 
     or present AD/HD, and with approximately 50 percent of 
     parents who had AD/HD having a child with the disorder;
       Whereas despite the serious consequences that can manifest 
     in the family and life experiences of an individual with AD/
     HD, 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 are receiving treatment;
       Whereas poor and minority communities are particularly 
     underserved by AD/HD resources;
       Whereas the Surgeon General, the American Medical 
     Association (AMA), the American Psychiatric Association, the 
     American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), 
     the American Psychological Association, the American Academy 
     of Pediatrics (AAP), the Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention (CDC), and the National Institute of Mental 
     Health, among others, recognize the need for proper 
     diagnosis, education, and treatment of AD/HD;
       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 AD/HD, and the 
     dissemination of inaccurate, misleading information 
     contributes to the obstacles preventing diagnosis and 
     treatment of the disorder;
       Whereas lack of knowledge, combined with the issue of 
     stigma associated with AD/HD, has a particularly detrimental 
     effect on the diagnosis and treatment of AD/HD;
       Whereas there is a need to educate 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 and 
     comprehensive diagnosis and treatment, the symptoms of AD/HD 
     can be substantially decreased and quality of life for the 
     individual can be improved: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates September 14, 2005, as ``National Attention 
     Deficit Disorder Awareness Day'';
       (2) recognizes Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder 
     (AD/HD) as a major public health concern;
       (3) encourages all people of the United States to find out 
     more about AD/HD and its supporting mental health services, 
     and to seek the appropriate treatment and support, if 
     necessary;
       (4) expresses the sense of the Senate that the Federal 
     Government has a responsibility to09
       (A) endeavor to raise public awareness about AD/HD; and
       (B) continue to consider ways to improve access to, and the 
     quality of, mental health services dedicated to the purpose 
     of improving the quality of life for children and adults with 
     AD/HD; and
       (5) calls on Federal, State and local administrators and 
     the people of the United States to observe the day with 
     appropriate programs and activities.

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