Laura Jewell
ENG-105
07-13-2014
Rebecca Foy

The rhetorical analysis of the CDC’s website on ADHD. The CDC is a government funded organization, but they do not share enough information with the public, so we can be proactive in dealing with, or minimizing the negative effects of ADHD. The CDC is not sharing information that would help the public to understand, to minimize the questions being asked, and to what depths or severity ADHD is, or could be. Some of the public may not fully understand the context of the issues pertaining to ADHD, what the CDC’s actual credibility is, and to whom they are trying to impart their knowledge. When a young child is sick, we take them to the doctor. What if we do not know they are sick, …show more content…

Although ADHD is a neurodevelopmental issue, no information is being given to the public on how to help solve the issue. ADHD can scare a lot of citizens, because it has been an issue that has not been discussed widely in the public or well understood. With the CDC getting involved and then having information on the internet about ADHD, it gives some of the public cause for concern. The public may feel as though the government may be hiding something from us, because of their getting the CDC involved. To bring all of this to a point, we do understand what is taking place with ADHD, but not nearly to the extent that we would like. The CDC’s credibility is linked to being funded by the government, and the CDC is trying to reach the medical community mainly, not the masses. This leaves the public ill-informed and fearful. The CDC should focus on the prevention side of their mandate from the government, as it IS in their name. This brings to mind the old saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. Where is the prevention? Just for a moment, imagine if they focused on the prevention, and discovered it was too many apples in the mother’s diet at week 3 of gestation. Imagine how many lives that would change!

References

Facts about ADHD. (2014, January 17). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved July 5, 2014, from