by Ann Moody

Created on: January 30, 2008

As a girl growing up in the 1970s, a time when ADHD was NOT the diagnosis du Jour, children who had a hard time sitting still and being quiet were simply sent to the Principal's office for a date with the wooden paddle. This made for a nice orderly classroom, but did very little to suit the educational needs of kids who just didn't quite think like the rest of the class. Some were even placed in the special education classroom despite a lack of true cognitive deficit. Today, teachers and parents are far more likely to pick up on the subtle differences than they were thirty years ago, but does that mean the condition is on the rise? Perhaps. Other conditions and disorders, such as severe food allergies and Autism, have seen a sharp increase in the 21st Century. Does the increased clinical acknowledgment of such conditions constitute a true over-diagnosis? As the population increases, and particularly as technology and science advance, many formerly unknown or undiagnosed conditions will begin to show themselves. Environmental factors may also be contributing to the higher number of cases being reported.

In the case of ADHD in particular, the data simply does not support an over-diagnosis of the disorder despite widely held public opinion to the contrary. Children, mainly boys, who demonstrate more hyperactive and impulsive behaviors (known as "Combined Type") are far more likely to be diagnosed due to the challenges they provide in the classroom. However, children who have symptoms of inattention and distractability ("Inattentive Type"), predominantly girls, are far less likely to be diagnosed as they tend to be quiet and not disruptive. These children are still by and large being unknowingly left behind, often floundering academically and emotionally.

Another common misnomer is that medication is the only treatment option offered to children with ADHD. Certainly, there are doctors who will prescribe medication without proper psychological evaluation or counseling, but this should by no means be accepted as standard protocol. Proper diagnosis and treatment involves extensive testing, together with behavioral modification and, yes, in some cases, medication. A little known fact about stimulant medication is that it is only effective in people who truly have ADHD. In other words, if you don't have it, it doesn't work. And even if it does work, there are many ways to manage ADHD without pharmaceutical interventions.

While we certainly cannot assume that all behavioral problems are physiological in nature, we also cannot assume that they are not. If you suspect your child has ADHD, seek a qualified professional for proper evaluation. Remember, knowledge is power.

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