ADHD: How Many Are Affected

ADHD: how many are affected and how reliable are the tools used in its diagnosis?

Today a growing number of children are being diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), an affliction that often stands in the way of children enjoying academic success and full personal lives. Certain identifiable behavioral symptoms, such as hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity characterize this disorder. Meanwhile, ADHD is a neurobehavioral disorder that usually has an early onset (Spencer, Biederman, Mick, 2007), and other serious psychiatric conditions may accompany ADHD. Often, many people misunderstand ADHD and treat it as a disability (Spencer, Biederman, Mick, 2007). A growing body of mental health specialists theorize that ADHD might be linked to environmental, genetic or biological etiologies (Spencer, Biederman, Mick, 2007). This paper will examine some of the environmental causes that may be linked to ADHD. Also, while many professionals consider the various tools that are being used to diagnose ADHD as highly reliable, troubling issues nevertheless remain surrounding the diagnostic process - and questions are being raised as to whether those diagnostic tools are truly effective. This paper will look at those questions and the psychometric measures, the Child Behavior Checklist, and observations used when diagnosing ADHD.

What are the symptoms and signals that indicate a child may have ADHD?

Typically, a child with ADHD may become easily distracted, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A child with ADHD likely will have trouble organizing activities, may be forgetful and lose things easily, may talk excessively and have trouble waiting for his or her turn to speak. Sadly, some public schools are indifferent to the problem or just too focused on their own curricula or their own test results to carefully address ADHD issues, leaving teachers uninformed about children's exceptionalities. This ignorance on the part of public school instruction results in an unfair lack of respect towards ADHD students - a tragic mis-diagnosis of their health-related condition - and all too often this lack of understanding results in a loss of self-esteem on the part of the student. Any unwillingness to work with young people whose lives are being negatively affected by ADHD - whether the lack of teacher support is through indifference or a dearth of hands-on knowledge - is unacceptable morally, socially and academically.

Do scientists know how children develop ADHD?