There’s been a 42 percent rise in reported cases of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, per new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About 6.4 million children 4 to 17 years old in the United States have received a diagnosis of ADHD, as reported by their parents—that accounts for 11 percent of that age group. Although 3.5 million children are said to be on medication for ADHD, 18 percent of children with ADHD are not getting behavioral therapy or medication for it.
Kids are typically being diagnosed by age 6 says the study, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Children with more severe ADHD tend to be diagnosed by age 4. “This finding suggests that there are a large number of children who could benefit from the early initiation of behavioral therapy, which is recommended as the first-line treatment for preschool children with ADHD,” says Susanna Visser of the CDC, lead study author.
Signs of ADHD include extreme impulsivity, an activity level that gets in the way of interacting with other kids (such as not taking turns) and a super-short attention span—as in, a child who is moving so quickly he isn’t taking time to take in information or problem-solve.
To learn more about ADHD:
Take this quiz: Could your child have ADD/ADHD?
Check out this article on diagnosing the condition and 8 New Facts About ADHD
Visit The National Resource Center for ADHD
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Image of boy standing against blackboard via Shutterstock