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There is something profoundly unseemly, if not criminal, about diagnosing normal behavior as a disease and using medication to eliminate the offending conduct. The practice is particularly egregious when the offenders, "the diseased," are children. But this is precisely what physicians and mental health professionals are doing to millions of healthy American kids.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 10 percent of children between the ages of 4 and 17 in North Carolina have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Nationwide, the figure for that age group is 4.4 million, of which 2.5 million are medicated to treat the alleged disorder.

But ADHD is not a disease. Virtually all children display behaviors that could be perceived as "symptoms" of the disorder. (Those symptoms include hyperactivity, inattentiveness, forgetfulness, impulsivity and disorganization.) ADHD is a myth that serves as an "out" for teachers and parents who would rather not have to deal with unruly children. Why discipline Little Johnny when he could simply be medicated to conform to behavioral standards?

An ADHD diagnosis is not only simple to obtain, but it also allows parents to evade responsibility for their child's rogue behavior. A spoiled brat diagnosed with a "disease" is no longer a spoiled brat, and most conveniently, no one is responsible for his conduct.

A new book penned by Dr. Bose Ravenel and John Rosemond, "The Diseasing of America's Children: Exposing the ADHD Fiasco and Empowering Parents to Take Back Control," exposes ADHD as a myth created and perpetuated by pediatricians, mental health professions and pharmaceutical companies. ADHD, the authors write, is "a fiction" from which these vested interests benefit.

Ravenel, a pediatrician in High Point, and Rosemond, a family psychologist and acclaimed parenting expert in Gastonia, present an eloquent and trenchant case against ADHD. Their claims, contrary to those asserted by "the ADHD Establishment," are supported by rigorous studies and compatible with common sense. Ravenel and Rosemond pull no punches in debunking the "science" behind ADHD: "No ADHD genes have been discovered, no ADHD gene transmission theories have been proven, no ADHD biochemical imbalance has been quantified, and no specific ADHD brain condition has been identified."

Parents willing to do independent research can quickly verify the claims of Ravenel and Rosemond.

The largest ADHD-affiliated organization is called Children and Adults with ADHD, or CHADD (www.CHADD.org). Its Web site, too, is a valuable source of information -- or propaganda, depending on your perspective. CHADD admits that, other than "scientific consensus," there is little evidence behind the causes or diagnosis of ADHD. But this is not persuasive. After all, there used to be consensus that the world is flat, and only a few decades ago, that we are heading into another Ice Age.

The ADHD Establishment endorses a "disease model" of behavioral problems, despite a lack of science in support of that position. Far more likely, and buttressed by overwhelming evidence, is the "developmental model" advanced by Rosen and Ravenel. Their argument, in short, is that the misbehavior of children is caused by a lack of parental discipline, the modern child's excessive indulgence of electronic media and nutritional deficiencies.

Among the Amish, a diagnosis of ADHD is almost unheard of. Not coincidentally, Amish parents raise their children with traditional disciplinary methods -- as opposed to "time out" -- and their kids do not waste innumerable hours watching television and playing video games. (According to Rosen and Ravenel, the average American child has watched 5,000 hours of television when he reports to kindergarten.) Electronic media has contributed mightily to the short attention spans that cripple the learning ability of children.

Another sacred cow summarily slaughtered by Rosen and Ravenel is self-esteem, an overrated virtue that leads to counterproductive parenting and educational decisions. Parents and teachers worry that disciplining or correcting a child could diminish his self-esteem. According to several studies, however, excessive self-regard can lead to contempt for others. The authors remind us that gang members and prison inmates have extraordinarily high self-esteem.

Parents of children diagnosed with ADHD should take the time to research the possibility of other causes behind their child's behavioral issues. In some cases, there could be legitimate, biological problems, such as a hearing deficiency; in others, parents may discover the root of the problem by simply gazing into a mirror.

Charles Davenport Jr. (daisha99@msn.com) is a freelance columnist who appears alternate Sundays in the News & Record.