Project 1 Worksheet: Patrick Pare
What problem are you going to describe? The problem that I am going to describe is the issue of kids
being diagnosed with ADHD/ADD in the United States and often not having the issue.
Why is it a problem? This is a problem because overdiagnosis causes ADHD to seem like a much more
common problem than it is. Also, it leads to much easier access to prescription drugs like Adderall,
which can be harmful to kid's health if they are taken improperly.
What community, of which you are a member, does this problem exist? It exists in the community of
kids who are diagnosed with ADHD.
What groups of stakeholders are there in this community who are affected by this problem? The people
with ADHD, their families, medical professionals, and medical organizations.
Which stakeholders might disagree that a problem exists and why? How might you convince them?
Medical professionals are most likely to disagree that a problem exists because they might not want to
admit that they are sometimes wrong about their diagnosis. I plan to try to convince medical
professionals that the problem of overdiagnosis of ADHD in children exists by using evidence from
decent sources such as studies. I will also try to convince them that the issue exists by showing them
examples in my essay.
Who has the power to make changes that would positively impact the issue? Large organizations like the
WHO, the FDA, and individual medical professionals.
Create an informal outline for your essay. 3-4 paragraphs will be the appropriate length for most essays.
Here, just write out a general idea of what each paragraph will need to do.
Paragraph 1: Introducing the problem of overdiagnosis of ADHD focus on the United States
Paragraph 2: more about who the problem affects and what is causing it.
Paragraph 3: potential solutions, and who has the power to implement these solutions.
Paragraph 4: Conclusion paragraph/ wrapping up all of the ideas in my essay.