Study: ADHD Being Missed In Many Kids

Research Suggests It's Under-Diagnosed And Frequently Misdiagnosed And Untreated

(CBS)  A new study points to one in 11 children in the United States aged 8-15 having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, with many of them having been un- or misdiagnosed, and so, untreated for ADHD.

The study appears in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine.

"They're saying," psychologist and Early Show contributor Robin Goodman told co-anchor Hannah Storm Tuesday that, "if you're at a birthday party with 11 or 12 kids, one of them is going to have this problem. It's a problem with attention, impulsivity and hyperactivity. You're not paying attention in class, you're disorganized, you may be getting into fights with kids, you can't wait your turn, and you're running around. You're not sitting still at the dinner table. All that combination of things."

With the main symptoms of ADHD being trouble focusing, impulsive behavior, and hyperactivity, when should a red flag go up for parents?

"The thing that's really important," Goodman stressed, "especially at back-to-school time, is that these should show up at school and at home. At least two different places. Not just that you're having a hard time with your child at home. Also, some of the symptoms should show up before age 7. The problem is, too, that it interferes with everyday life. You're getting calls from the teacher. Other kids don't want to play with them sometimes. You're constantly fighting about homework. So, really, life is very difficult with these kids."

The issues of under- and misdiagnosis actually stem in part, Goodman says, from parents not being "educated about the fact that this is a real diagnosis. It's not, 'Boys will be boys' or 'They're just lazy' or 'They're procrastinating.' The other thing is, (ADHD) can coexist with other kinds of problems. Sometimes, these kids have a learning problem. Sometimes, they have anxiety, depression. So, there's a lot of confusion out there, as well."

What's more, ADHD is missed more often in girls than boys.

"That's, again, two different reasons for that," Goodman pointed out. "One is, fewer girls have it. It's much more prevalent in boys. The other thing is, girls often don't have the 'h,' hyperactivity part. So, they're not running around. They're not causing problems in the classroom. They're sitting there quietly, doodling, being distracted. Just as difficult for them, but it's not recognized and obvious."

Once ADHD is diagnosed, "There's a big range of treatment," Goodman explains. "There've been lots of studies that have gone on for years. (It's a) combination sometimes of medication or behavioral kind of treatment. And, some have only medication. Some only behavior. And some, a combination. But, again, it can be very successfully treated. Not only to help with the impulses, but help with the day to day life and struggle for these kids and the families."

The bottom line, Goodman says is, if a parent thinks his or her child might have ADHD, "See a mental health professional. They know how to look at this. The other thing is, you could be reassured. 'You just need more limit-setting at home.' Or, you get the right diagnosis and it prevents those problems much later on in life that can really derail a kid."

[ecuadoriana]

At the elementary school where I worked, as a para-educator, those kids who were designated as special needs were given much much more leeway in the classroom when it came to their so called ADHD/ADD/OD behaviours. Throwing fits, breaking things, hitting, etc. got them out of the classroom & down to the guidance counselor''s office where they got to play board games, card games, do some physical exercise to burn off excess steam, color & draw- while talking about their "feelings". If they could behave themselves in the classroom the reward was that they got to go to the counselor''s office for board games, talking, etc. Punishment & reward were identical results for opposite behaviours!

The "normal" kids who started out the school year making honest efforts to get their work done & behave themselves were rewarded with the fact that the school system stripped away recess & PE classes down to non-existence. Also they were mostly ignored while teachers were busy dealing with & catering to the disruptive "special needs" kids who were throwing books & screaming. (cont.)

[ecuadoriana]

(cont.)
So guess what the normal kids started doing to get some attention, board games, one on one talking sessions, a little physical exercise...?!

This whole ADHD phenomenon is bogus. Kids very quickly learn how to manipulate any situation- it''s a survival instinct from birth. Cry- get food. Smile- get a cuddle. The problem is that parents give up the training process because it requires work for the next 18 years. They think it will be easier to keep giving in every time the kid cries.

It may be easier for the parents now, but it''s harder for the rest of society who will be subjected to the results for many more years to come.

[quakerwrote]

Wish we could have more in-depth professional analysis of some of the comments here. It seems all parents want more physical activity in school (recess/lunch), more restraint in prescriptions (ritalin is @$2 BILLION industry), and recognize that parents and teachers can do a lot to mitigate ADHD. The question is, how will this collective wisdom ever be translated into policy? We can help individual kids, but who can put the breaks on big pharma, test-driven schools, and an economy that ensures parents are overworked (i.e. less time to attend to a "special needs" child.) The issue here seems to be, as always, money and power v. those who do not vote, the children. This is not some vast conspiracy but the end result of a capitalist society with eroding protections and little opportunity for real civic engagement. (Thanks for the blog, at least!) On a related note, just reading a fantastic new book called NO MIND LEFT BEHIND which includes everything you should do before medicating a child with ADHD. According to the doctor who wrote the book, ADHD is just a part of a spectrum of executive control skills that develop in the brain through late teens, even the early twenties! So we may just be asking kids to do too much, too fast, and medicating them when their brains have not had time to develop on a normal timeline.

[ecuadoriana]

Back in them dinosaur days of the 60''s & 70''s we had recess twice a day (20 min. in the morning & 20 min. in the afternoon), 1 hour for lunch so that we''d have time to eat at a normal pace & have a chance to go out & run off some calories, we also had PE EVERY DAY- even throughout high school! No one had ADD, et al, because we ran off our extra steam. We also played outside after school, walked or rode our bikes to school (no moms with the super sized SUVs w/built in video screens mounted on the head rests). We learned, we respected the teachers & our schools, we had chores!

We also didn''t have juvenile diabetes & obesity problems either.

Oh, I''m talking about the 1960''s & 1970''s. Not the 1800''s!!!

ADHD & the like are artificial illnesses to make parents feel better about themselves & pad the pockets of the medical community. Every time I see a kid who is old enough to know better (like over 2 years old) tossing a fit in a store, kicking his parents, spitting on them, breaking merchandise- all because the parents said No to yet another mindless video game- the parent will give a wan smile & say "He can''t help it, he has ADHD" as she lamely says to the kid "Now sweetheart, mommy doesn''t like it when you act like that, can you try using your inside voice..."

I feel my insides coming up my throat when I hear that cr@p!!!

[maedean]

Is everyone missing the point that they are putting way to much on these young kids in school. Stop pushing them so fast and hard in school and you will find out that ADHD does not even exist at all.. But that would take the money from the doctors and insurance companies who are doing nothing more than getting rich.. Kids don''t need drugs. Come on be a parent and stand up to the school system don''t drug you kids....

[ecuadoriana]

"''There''s a big range of treatment,'' Goodman explains. ''There''ve [sic] been lots of studies that have gone on for years. (It''s a) combination sometimes of medication or behavioral kind of treatment. And, some have only medication.''"

And there you have the exact reason they are so bummed out that this bogus syndrome is "missed"- they want the money from more drug deals! Pushers in uniforms with a PhD''s.

What happened to "Just say no!"? What happened to teaching kids to behave themselves, be responsible for themselves, to have self control? C''mon, they can''t tell me that in only one generation this mysterious syndrome suddenly popped up out of no where. It popped up because parents got lazy. I don''t blame teachers. Their job is to teach the 3 R''s to kids who were taught manners, self control & personal responsibility at home.

"Just Say No!" has turned into "Just Say Meds!" and I say ADHD, ADD, OD are bogus & don''t exist. What does exist is too many lazy parents using TV as a babysitter & giving in to every screaming demand that their kids make. My favourite BS syndrome- OD, "Oppositional Defiant", that''s the kid who throws a temper tantrum when asked to clean his room, pick up his toys, help clear the table, etc. My parents had a cure for that. It was called A Kick in the Pants. But today''s cure all- drugs.

Just Say ENOUGH Already!

[grammawhamma]

Oh please....let''s just medicate the drinking water and we can all be zombies.

[chrzeerose]

I agree with all of you. My son was diagnosed with ADHD 2 years ago. I opted for no meds and we just stick to a good routine at home and he''s fine. His grades are also fine. Any child with a little individuality is ADHD. Of course I''m sure everyone knows who stands to benefit from drugging 1 in 11 kids in America, don''t we. It''s getting out of hand and our kids are the ones who will suffer.

[sharncedar]

"You''re not paying attention in class, you''re disorganized, you may be getting into fights with kids, you can''t wait your turn, and you''re running around. You''re not sitting still at the dinner table. All that combination of things"

We don''t need horror movies in America. We live in a horror movie. Can you imagine that they want to drug and destroy 1 in 10 children for these supposed "crimes" against the system. These drugs wll permanently impair the kids. Parents who cannot teach their children manners will instead drug them into a stupor. And the show goes on, money money money money money, don''t stop to talk to your child, don''t stop money money money money

[sharncedar]

ADHD is a description of a kid who is bored, overstimulated, and has terrible parents who don''t provide basic education in self-control. Another contributor is when the kid has had most of their brain development influenced by TV and video games, which destroys normal functions of concentration and attention span. The kids are drugged as part of a parental/child power struggle. It''s really quite infamous, it is the kind of thing you would expect in a fascist state. There is no ADHD, only a fascist state that connot raise children properly and cannot tolerate dissent.

[sueblanton]

I can''t believe the one sided imbalanced reporting on the issue of ADD and ADHD. I am a teacher and numerous times I have seen students put on drugs unncessarily. I have seen children''s behavior totally change when they are removed from foods that they are allergic to. I had one student that became a different person after he was removed from all gluten. Many children are allergic to sugar. Why do therapists continue to have such a narrow focus when it comes to treating these disorders? Often times a parent needs to look no further then their kitchens to discover why Johnny can''t sit still and focus. I am appalled at the number of young children being placed on drugs. If you listen to the shrinks, they think ADD and ADHD comes about because of a deficiency of some drug such as ritalin. When are they going to wake up and treat the cause of the problem instead of masking the symptoms. SHAME ON YOU CBS!!! for not presenting a balanced report and for not consulting Allergists, those practicing environmental medicine or those who use more wholistic approaches to treat this problem.