Rhetorical analysis on cdc adhd

Rhetorical Analysis Essay

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention address facts about ADHD on a website that is visible for the public eye. The website is broken down from types, symptoms, causes, statistics, and treatments. The site is open to anyone who has internet access and may have questions or concerns for yourself or others. The CDC uses the rhetorical appeals of ethos, pathos, and logos to inform the public on ADHD.

According to the website statistics, The American Psychiatric Association states in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5, 2013) that 5% of children have ADHD. In September of 2014 Healthline published a report that the average age of ADHD diagnoses was seven years old, symptoms first appeared from three to six, and there has been an increase in diagnoses of 42% over the last eight years. (Holland and Riley, 2014). Reading what is on this website will not only give you a sense of hope but it will ensure you that you’re not alone.

Ethos is how much credibility does the writer have. The CDC has been around for 69 years and counting. It is run by the government and a very credible source. The CDC made a trusting name for itself over the years and the biggest way are by their mission. Their sole purpose is to protect the American people from health, safety and security threats in the U.S. or abroad. According to the CDC, “trying to diagnose a child with this disease is a multi-step process.” The website is a website that can be trusted at all times. A way to convince the audience that this is a real disease is to ask your doctor about the disease and they will explain everything. One cannot self-diagnose from reading one article but it’s always good to read up on things, so you can ask questions later.

Pathos appeals to the emotions of the person that is reading the article. The tone set within this article is very comforting and educational. Pictures, in this case, cause a positive reaction in a way that if someone is experiencing the same thing, it’s going to be okay. There are kids laughing, diversity, male, female, and most importantly unity. This picture theme is repeated throughout the site improving the emotional relation to the readers.

Logos is the reason or logic behind someone doing something. The writer has to convince the reader of its point so that the reader will believe what the author is saying. “ADHD is often undiagnosed and untreated in adults due to lack of disease awareness, inadequate access to ADHD care, or use of diagnostic criteria prevalent before DSM-5” (Leahy, 2018). The CDC, however, provides copious amounts of factual evidence and information so that suspecting adults can have the motivation to look into treatments. Logos is the most-used rhetoric by the CDC on the website. The CDC webpage also provides in-depth, accurate descriptions of all things mentioning or pertaining to ADHD, while including ways within the site to do further research.

In conclusion, ADHD is common and treatable. It’s not up to us to decide when a child is considered to be too much of anything but, if you do think something is going on, don’t hesitate to talk to your doctor. The site is easy to navigate so viewers can get the answers they need. The site also provides various contact numbers for people if they have additional questions. The web page was designed well using many different aspects of ethos, pathos, and logos appeals. If you do have questions or concerns about ADHD this web page could put you on the path answer them.

References

George, D., & Mallery, P. (2016). IBM SPSS statistics 23 step by step: A simple guide and reference. New York, NY: Routledge.

Facts about ADHD (n.d.). In Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved May 10, 2016 from http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/facts.html

Walker, F. R. (2005). THE RHETORIC OF MOCK TRIAL DEBATE: USING LOGOS, PATHOS AND ETHOS IN UNDERGRADUATE COMPETITION. College Student Journal, 39(2), 277-286.