This web site is the work of a self-described stay-at-home Australian dad. He explains that he has no personal experience of ADHD. He is just interested in the ideas. He seems though to be able to unpick the fraudulent way the narrative is built-up with great skill.
This page discusses some aspects of the “disorder”:
Good on the classification system of psychiatry:
Because that kind of behaviour is in conflict with the organisational goals of the school system, it”s perceived as a deviation from normal (expected) behaviour.
and
This year a hundred ”disorders of childhood”, next year two hundred as every kind of childhood behaviour is analysed and broken down into types and subtypes and variations and versions – with the only logical conclusion being that one day every child will have their own customised brain ”abnormality” and the DSM will be a mile thick.
This is lovely too:
The parents are then told that their child probably ”has ADHD”. “What”s ADHD?” they ask. Most likely, the parents will be told something like “It”s a brain abnormality that makes children overactive and unable to concentrate.” The totally spurious ”chemical imbalance” idea will probably be chucked into the conversation for good measure. How does the professional know it”s a brain abnormality? It”s the official view. How did it get to be the official view? It”s in the DSM. There in plain black and white in psychiatry”s ”bible” are the ”diagnostic criteria” – the ”symptoms”.rnrnExcept they”re not symptoms, are they? They”re observations. It”s only the members of the American Psychiatric Association who have decided that the observations are ”symptoms” and the relevant official bodies and organisations have dutifully accepted that and passed it on to a jungleful of parrots in the medical, educational and childcare professions and the media.
And this is quite funny as well:
How do the members of the APA [American Psychiatric Association] decide that observations are symptoms? They vote on it. “Okay, guys, here”s a list of behaviours associated with the disgusting habit of nose picking (compulsive crooking of the arm, nostril fixation, etc). How many of you think nose picking is abnormal? Carried.
By definition, the behaviours associated with nose picking are hereby its symptoms. Nose picking is officially a mental disorder, and that”s what we’ll tell the world in the next edition of the DSM.”
“But, you can”t tell people nose picking is a mental disorder – they”d laugh at us.” “Okay, what”s the Greek for ”nose picking”? We”ll add the word ”mania” to it and call it that. Nobody will notice.” Another manufactured ”disorder of childhood” for the DSM
See especially this page for a very witty argument by analogy which shows how the ADHD “disorder” is put together.
The New Observer 