Designating September 14, 2005, as
‘‘National Attention Deficit Disorder Awareness Day’’.

---

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JULY 19, 2005
Ms. CANTWELL (for herself and Mr. DURBIN) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

JULY 27, 2005
Committee discharged; considered and agreed to

---

RESOLUTION

Designating September 14, 2005, as ‘‘National Attention
Deficit Disorder Awareness Day’’.

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 onehalf 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 to–

(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.