Is ADHAD Over-Diagnosed?

There has been an ongoing debate about whether the mental disorder ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is over-diagnosed. ADHD is commonly diagnosed in people, more specifically children, who lack the ability to pay attention, are often disruptive, are hyperactive, and impulsive. A medical personnel or a psychologist diagnoses the children using a list of criteria. It is only in recent years that doctors have begun researching better and more effective ways to diagnosis patients using brain scans. It is because of this, that ADHD is over-diagnosed for several reasons: the different personalities that children can exhibit; parents not taking responsibility as parents; and the lack of proper ways to identify ADHD.

Each child is specifically unique in his or her own way. As a result, each child learns and acts differently. When a child is hyperactive or does not pay attention, parents are often worried that their child may have ADHD. However, that child may be a highly active child by nature and in need of exercise and a way to burn of all of that energy.

In addition, various research has been done on the effects of the child’s age upon entering the classroom. To research the effect age could potentially have on children, a study was done in British Columbia that focused on 930,000 children between the ages of 6 to 12, from the years 1997 to 2008. They found that those born in December, typically some of the youngest in the class, “were 30 percent more likely to be diagnosed and 41 percent more likely to be treated with ADHD medication that boys born in January” (Dotinga). The research also showed similar results for girls. Although, the article claims that the findings, “…don’t prove definitively that any kids are...

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