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Why Are Youngest Students 50 Percent More Likely To Be Diagnosed With ADHD?

As a new school year begins, parents are faced with numerous decisions, from which backpack to buy for their child to whether or not to medicate their children for an ADHD diagnosis. Now a recent study out of North Carolina State may influence parents’ decisions regarding stimulant medication for hyperactivity.

The study shows that children born the day before the cut-off date to start school are significantly more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD then their same-grade peers who are born the day after the cut off date. Stated simply, kids are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD when they are among the youngest in their classrooms. This indicates that rather then a legitimate diagnosis, for some children ADHD may simply be immaturity. So how can we as professionals and parents stop these misdiagnoses from happening?

As professionals we need to be updated on the latest research and be aware of the latest screening and testing techniques available, not just rely on the reporting of parents or teachers. As parents we need to make sure that we are advocating for our children and not just going along with what the school or the professional tells us. If something makes us uncomfortable, we should tell our doctors and we should not be afraid to get a second opinion for something as important as psychotropic medication. Psychiatrists and therapists who work with children should be providing alternatives and/or supplements to medication such as social skills training, cognitive behavioral therapy, and executive skills training. In the final analysis, each child is an individual, and each case of ADHD needs to be looked at with the traits and needs of the child and family taking priority for both the professionals involved and the parents of the child.