What could a 3 year old possibly have to focus on that they need to take amphetamines?
Kids who have the hyperactive "subtype" of ADHD tend to move non-stop to the point where they injure themselves, and they also don't seem to listen to their parents. I'm not sure how much of this behavior shows for 3 year olds though...
Sometimes when a human being and society are misaligned, the society should adapt rather than the human being.
Sounds like a quintessential 3 year old.
That doesn't mean it's not possible (or useful) to distinguish between a "normal" teenager and one who is depressed and needs treatment.
As a person with ADHD-Hyperactive-Impulsive type grows up, he will start showing less and less hyperactivity (the impulsivity is still there though).
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/03/31/us/adhd-in-chi...
HOWEVER, "executive function disorder" is too general. Medically, it refers to a class of disorders that includes not just ADHD, but also Asperger's syndrome, Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, and more[0].
I agree with your general sentiment; I just want to point out that we cannot use the term interchangeably, as many people who have executive function disorders do not have ADHD.
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_dysfunction#Executiv...
D.A.R.E. - To keep kids OFF the streets (where they could engage in dangerous activities such as "play"), and to keep them ON drugs (where they are easy money).
Well, it turns out, these children often can't be helped by "good parenting" or non-pharmaceutical therapy. They are still destroying their homes, terrorizing their parents and peers. And even though they are the aggressors, they suffer immensely, let alone their parents.
Also, even in much milder cases it has been shown that beating or otherwise severely punishing children (emotionally might count, too), actually increases the behavioral problems in the long term. If ADHD medications helps these children to actually choose peacefulness, I'm not entirely against it.