Nearly One Million Children in U.S. Potentially Misdiagnosed With ADHD, Study Finds

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runawaybunny

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Nearly One Million Children in U.S. Potentially Misdiagnosed With ADHD, Study Finds - Science Daily

Nearly 1 million children in the United States are potentially misdiagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder simply because they are the youngest -- and most immature -- in their kindergarten class, according to new research by a Michigan State University economist.

These children are significantly more likely than their older classmates to be prescribed behavior-modifying stimulants such as Ritalin, said Todd Elder, whose study will appear in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Health Economics.

"If a child is behaving poorly, if he's inattentive, if he can't sit still, it may simply be because he's 5 and the other kids are 6," said Elder, assistant professor of economics. "There's a big difference between a 5-year-old and a 6-year-old, and teachers and medical practitioners need to take that into account when evaluating whether children have ADHD."
 

LittleDudesMom

Well-Known Member
Great reasoning. My difficult child's therapist told us this years ago when she first started seeing difficult child. She didn't diagnosis him with adhd for a year or so after she started seeing him and could get a consistent pattern. Although, I think both she and I knew the outcome from the start!

Sharon
 
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