ADHD: just a different way of being normal

Diagnoses of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are on the rise around the world. ADHD has traditionally been treated as a dysfunction in the brain, which leads to a range of symptoms that need to be fixed or mitigated, sometimes with medication. But the scientific evidence for that view is beginning to fray. A growing number of experts think that ADHD may simply represent another part of the spectrum of neurodiversity—a different way of being normal. This week, we explore the science underlying this view and the consequences it could have for the way in which the condition could be managed. Is it time to re-think ADHD? Host: Alok Jha, The Economist’s science and technology editor. Contributors: Duncan Astle of the University of Cambridge; and The Economist’s Slavea Chankova and Rachel Dobbs. Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.