A report released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control in July 2008 took a look at attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.
ADHD is characterized by impulsiveness, hyperactivity, and an inability to focus or concentrate. In children, ADHD usually appears by the age of seven. The problem is often noticed in school, leading to diagnosis before the age of twelve. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimate that more than four million children in the United States have been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
According to the CDC report that surveyed nearly forty thousand households:
- The rate of diagnosis is holding steady for children under twelve — approximately seven percent of the population.
- The rate of diagnosis is on the rise for children over twelve — it went from seven percent to nearly ten percent over the last decade.
Most childhood diagnoses of ADHD are traditionally made by the age of eleven. So what’s causing the change? Experts aren’t entirely sure. Here are some suggestions:
- Doctors may be more open to the possibility of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in older children with concentration problems. Older children may not exhibit the disruptive impulsive or hyperactive behaviors but still have difficulty with concentration.
- ADHD is sometimes diagnosed when older children/adolescents are being checked for other conditions. These children might not have been diagnosed otherwise.
- ADHD medications are being marketed aggressively by drug makers, and lots of new treatments are available for children, teens, and adults. Doctors may be prescribing medications that were not available ten years ago.
- Part of the problem may be older children and teens abusing ADHD medications as “study aides” or recreational stimulants. In children (and adults) who do not have ADHD, ADHD medications can cause behaviors that resemble ADHD.