ADHD is otherwise known as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Doctors are handing out the ADHD diagnosis in almost epidemic proportions these days. A person with ADHD has significant differences in their brain development and activity which affect their attention, ability to sit still, along with their self-control. ADHD affects those diagnosed not only at school but also at home and in their relationships. There are clear signs pointing to our youth being prematurely misdiagnosed with ADHD. The drugging of the American boy is increasing as physicians and teachers push to an often inconclusive diagnosis and medicating of our young male population for ADHD.
What Is ADHD?
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD is one of the most common mental disorders diagnosed in children. ADHD also affects many adults. An estimated 8.4 percent of children and 2.5 percent of adults have ADHD. ADHD is typically identified in school-aged children when it leads to disruption in the classroom or problems with schoolwork. It is more common among boys than girls. Children diagnosed with ADHD may have trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors, or they may be hyperactive. (1)
What Are The Symptoms of ADHD?
All children struggle at times to pay attention, listen and follow directions, sit still, or wait their turn. When a child has ADHD, the struggles are harder and happen more often. Children with ADHD don’t just grow out of these behaviors. (2)
Children with ADHD exhibit the following symptoms:
- daydream a lot
- forget or lose things a lot
- have a hard time resisting temptation
- squirm or fidget
- talk too much
- make careless mistakes or take unnecessary risks
- have trouble taking turns
- have difficulty getting along with others (2)
The key factor in the diagnosis of ADHD and one of the biggest issues in misdiagnosis is that six or more of these symptoms must be present. This is for children who are up to age 16 and must be present over the course of at least 6 months. When looking at adolescents who are 17 years and older, the standard is 5 of the symptoms, however, it is still a six month period that it must be present for. (3)
Additionally, for ADHD diagnosis, these symptoms should be present in at least 2 or more settings. For instance, it could be at home and work or school, then also with relatives or close friends, or even at extracurricular activities. If the child truly has ADHD, it will clearly interfere with their activities and interactions in their lives. This will be noticed by family members, teachers, co-workers, bosses, and coaches. There also can’t be any other mental disorder to explain these behaviors, such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or anxiety. (3)
What is the Process of ADHD Diagnosis?
Diagnosing a child with ADHD is a process with several steps. There is no single test to diagnose ADHD. Unfortunately, ADHD can present with symptoms that are similar to other psychological disorders like anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and certain types of learning disabilities. There are several steps in this process, and the first steps include a medical exam along with hearing and vision tests. (4)
Another part of the process may include a checklist for rating ADHD symptoms and taking a history of the child from parents, teachers, and sometimes, the child. This is sometimes where the process ends. A child can’t accurately be diagnosed with ADHD after a 10 minute or even a 45-minute examination. Proper diagnosis is a 3-step process that includes:
ADHD Diagnosis Step 1: The Consultation
Expect the ADHD diagnosis consultation to take an hour or longer. If a doctor is evaluating your child for ADHD, they will talk to you and your child, and get information through checklists and written documentation from teachers and other adults who spend a lot of time with your child. (4)
ADHD Diagnosis Step 2: Testing, Testing
Most clinical interviews include completing one or more of the ADHD rating scales, as well as other tests. A proper ADHD test should do two things: determine whether a person has ADHD and rule out or identify other problems learning disabilities, autism, auditory processing disorders, or mood disorders. Depending on your doctor’s concerns, tests may take from an hour to more than eight hours and may require several appointments. (4)
ADHD Diagnosis Step 3: Learning How to Manage Symptoms
After the clinical interview and the recommended tests are completed, most doctors will call you into the office to go over the results of your ADHD evaluation. (4)
Why Do More Boys Receive an ADHD Diagnosis?
Recent studies show that children are being overdiagnosed as well as medicated for ADHD when they haven’t been properly tested for the condition. Among the driving factors, the authors point to “very low” levels of agreement among diagnosticians; ambiguously worded diagnostic criteria; excessive reliance on “heuristics” (a methodology involving educated guesswork and stereotyping); the “halo effect,” involving carry-over information from related but different diagnoses; and that just one-in-four pediatricians “report relying on DSM criteria.” (5)
Another factor addressed in recent studies is a well-established pattern of overdiagnosing ADHD in boys. This is based on the tendency among evaluators to “overrate male externalizing behavior.”
Another factor in overdiagnosis is the relative age effect. One of the cited studies found that children born close to kindergarten or school cut-off dates are 30 percent to 60 percent more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD. They are also likely to “receive psychostimulants” such as Ritalin “twice as often as children born only a few days later, but after the cut-off date.”(5)
How Is This Happening To Our Boys?
This is where knowledge and education come in for parents. It truly is time to understand how the system works so that you can advocate for your children. If your pediatrician nods his head at the results and says, “sure, let’s try that out.” You had best be on your way out the door to find a new pediatrician for your child. Our children are not guinea pigs to be experimented on. Drugs should be a last resort treatment only after every other treatment has been tried and exhausted. Much of the behavior that is being described as ADHD is nothing more than typical boy behavior. Let’s allow our boys to be boys and say no to some of the push by big pharma.
