Underdiagnosed and undertreated, Black students with ADHD get left behind
autside.substack.com
A recent article highlights the systemic racial inequalities that exist in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD in the United States. It centers on the story of Wesley Jackson Wade, a 40-year old Black man who struggled with undiagnosed ADHD and dyslexia his whole life, despite coming from a privileged background. The article argues that Black children, especially Black boys, are significantly less likely to be diagnosed with ADHD compared to their white peers, even when controlling for socioeconomic status and symptoms.
This story exemplifies how capitalist systems of oppression intersect, with race, class, and ability status all impacting one's access to healthcare and life opportunities. The "school-to-prison pipeline" that disproportionately impacts Black students can be linked to the lack of support and accommodations for disabilities like ADHD. This highlights how supposed race-neutral institutions like schools and the healthcare system perpetuate racial bias, for example through teacher's judgments and stereotypes influencing who gets assessed and treated.
Overall, the article illustrates how diagnosis and treatment gaps for Black children with ADHD stem from and exacerbate systemic racism. This prevents Black students from reaching their full potential and entrenches racial hierarchies in education and health. Radically restructuring these systems is needed to address root causes of inequality. The article's focus on personal stories and racial disparities in ADHD diagnosis provides a human face to demonstrate the real-life impacts of racial capitalism and discrimination.
Further to the point, the article highlights an alarming statistic - that Black children are 2.4 times as likely to receive a diagnosis of conduct disorder or oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) compared to a diagnosis of ADHD. This tendency speaks volumes about the deep-seated racial prejudices and stereotypes that exist within the educational and medical institutions assessing these children.
The symptoms of ODD focus on defiance towards authority, hostility, and uncooperativeness. When displayed by African American students, these behaviours tend to reinforce racist assumptions held by teachers and clinicians about Black children being inherently more aggressive, threatening, disobedient, and anti-social. However, the same actions coming from white students are more commonly recognized as symptomatic of disorders like ADHD that require support and treatment rather than just punishment.
This discriminatory diagnostic pattern leads to African American boys shouldering most of the burden of exclusionary discipline policies, being isolated into restrictive special education classrooms, and being pushed into the “school-to-prison pipeline.” They are quickly criminalised for behaviours tied to disabilities that their white peers could easily get medical accommodations for.
These racist double standards built into the ADHD / ODD diagnostic processes have devastating impacts on young Black boys, cutting off their access to proper care and opportunities. It speaks to why culturally competent assessments and dismantling the “school-to-prison pipeline” are so critical to ending the systemic oppression of African American students. Medical institutions must confront how their diagnostic tools reproduce inequality.
The AutSide is a reader-supported publication. To support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.
Underdiagnosed and undertreated, Black students with ADHD get left behind
Underdiagnosed and undertreated, Black students with ADHD get left behind
Underdiagnosed and undertreated, Black students with ADHD get left behind
A recent article highlights the systemic racial inequalities that exist in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD in the United States. It centers on the story of Wesley Jackson Wade, a 40-year old Black man who struggled with undiagnosed ADHD and dyslexia his whole life, despite coming from a privileged background. The article argues that Black children, especially Black boys, are significantly less likely to be diagnosed with ADHD compared to their white peers, even when controlling for socioeconomic status and symptoms.
This story exemplifies how capitalist systems of oppression intersect, with race, class, and ability status all impacting one's access to healthcare and life opportunities. The "school-to-prison pipeline" that disproportionately impacts Black students can be linked to the lack of support and accommodations for disabilities like ADHD. This highlights how supposed race-neutral institutions like schools and the healthcare system perpetuate racial bias, for example through teacher's judgments and stereotypes influencing who gets assessed and treated.
Overall, the article illustrates how diagnosis and treatment gaps for Black children with ADHD stem from and exacerbate systemic racism. This prevents Black students from reaching their full potential and entrenches racial hierarchies in education and health. Radically restructuring these systems is needed to address root causes of inequality. The article's focus on personal stories and racial disparities in ADHD diagnosis provides a human face to demonstrate the real-life impacts of racial capitalism and discrimination.
Further to the point, the article highlights an alarming statistic - that Black children are 2.4 times as likely to receive a diagnosis of conduct disorder or oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) compared to a diagnosis of ADHD. This tendency speaks volumes about the deep-seated racial prejudices and stereotypes that exist within the educational and medical institutions assessing these children.
The symptoms of ODD focus on defiance towards authority, hostility, and uncooperativeness. When displayed by African American students, these behaviours tend to reinforce racist assumptions held by teachers and clinicians about Black children being inherently more aggressive, threatening, disobedient, and anti-social. However, the same actions coming from white students are more commonly recognized as symptomatic of disorders like ADHD that require support and treatment rather than just punishment.
This discriminatory diagnostic pattern leads to African American boys shouldering most of the burden of exclusionary discipline policies, being isolated into restrictive special education classrooms, and being pushed into the “school-to-prison pipeline.” They are quickly criminalised for behaviours tied to disabilities that their white peers could easily get medical accommodations for.
These racist double standards built into the ADHD / ODD diagnostic processes have devastating impacts on young Black boys, cutting off their access to proper care and opportunities. It speaks to why culturally competent assessments and dismantling the “school-to-prison pipeline” are so critical to ending the systemic oppression of African American students. Medical institutions must confront how their diagnostic tools reproduce inequality.
The AutSide is a reader-supported publication. To support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.