Danger of Using the Medical/Biological Model for ADHD, Autism, and Other Neurodevelopmental Problems

By Bob Doman

What is the medical/biological disease model?

The medical/biological model is a framework for understanding and addressing illnesses and diseases. 

Biological Foundation

Illnesses and diseases are essentially caused by biological factors, including physiological problems, infections, and genetic disorders.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Focus is on diagnosing and labeling the disease or illness, with associated prognosis, and then providing accepted procedures, such as medications, procedures, or surgery.

Shortcomings

• This model tends to reduce complex issues to biological factors, neglecting environmental, psychological, social, and developmental factors. 
• The first step in the process is diagnosis/labeling and clumping an individual into a group with similar symptoms.
• The model is restrictive and often prevents the application of treatments and approaches beyond the use of medications and surgery.
• Prognosis is based on historic results from the application of their model’s methodologies and can lead to limited expectations and thus opportunity.
• The model tends to undervalue the complexity and uniqueness of the individual.
• Alternative and non-medical approaches tend to be excluded.

Diagnosing Neurodevelopmental Disorders

There is no medical tool, such as blood tests, x-rays, or physical examination, used to diagnose ADD, ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Learning Disabilities, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, Intellectual Disability, Mental Retardation, Coordination/Motor Disorders, Behavioral Disorders, Speech and Language Delays, as well as some visual and hearing disorders and more. These issues are neurodevelopmental problems, and diagnosis/labeling is based on developmental symptom checklists. 

What are Neurodevelopmental Disorders?

Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDDs) are issues resulting from conditions that negatively impact development and the functions of the brain, leading to various cognitive, behavioral, and motor issues.

Neurodevelopmental Disorders have many causes and often a combination of factors. Contributing to NDDs are everything from missed critical developmental steps to genetic, nutritional, gut, psychosocial, and environmental factors, to issues affecting the developing fetus, as well as birth issues. Often the underlying cause (and most often, causes) are not identified; and relative to individuals, using the medical model they are not necessarily viewed as terribly significant in terms of treatment. 

The common factor in all neurodevelopmental disorders is that regardless of the causes, the net result is a negative impact on the development of the brain, and as such can be positively impacted by targeted neurodevelopmental intervention, including diet and nutrition. Neuroplasticity, the mechanism of development, can be utilized at any age to alter, modify, and address most neurodevelopmental issues, without the need for medications or traditional medical interventions, which may hide or mask some symptoms, and at the cost of side effects, while not addressing the underlying issues. 

Based on the medical model, many neurodevelopmental issues are viewed as essentially incurable. And they are incurable if they are treated as diseases with traditional medical interventions that do not and cannot address the brain/developmental foundation producing the symptoms that created the label. 

Neurodevelopmental intervention is not simple; and relatively simplistic interventions, of which there are many, are not generally helpful.

At NACD we have a toolbox containing over 3000 different tools, methods, and interventions which are applied by our developmentalists, all of whom have many decades of experience and training. 

Note:

A number of years ago, I listening to the rationale of one of the medical doctors that illustrates some of the basic issues with the medical model. He stated that several different interventions produced changes and results with some children with ADHD; but because ADD and ADHD were diseases, only treatments that had some effect on virtually all children with ADD and ADHD were valid treatments. If ADD and ADHD were diseases, that rationale might have some validity. But ADD and ADHD symptoms can be caused by a variety of neurodevelopmental factors and thus need to have a variety of neurodevelopmental targeted treatments and interventions—one size does not fit all. He was referring to the drug Ritalin (Methylphenidate) at the time, which is a stimulant, as is Adderall (Amphetamine-Dextroamphetamine) and Concerta (Methylphenidate). These drugs are among the most popular street drugs because they do, in fact, have an effect on everyone. On the street these drugs are referred to as uppers. I don’t believe that anyone should refer to these drugs as cures or as healthy.

Today there is a plethora of ADHD drugs that are either stimulants or non-stimulants, all with long lists of side effects which grow with extended use, and none of which address the underly developmental issues.

Reprinted by permission of The NACD Foundation, Volume 39 No. 2 , 2025 ©NACD