3 ms·

This is interesting, because I definitely have been a non-believer. This article makes it real. It does seem to me that ADHD is over-diagnosed for kids, especi

by d--b 7y ago

This is interesting, because I definitely have been a non-believer. This article makes it real. It does seem to me that ADHD is over-diagnosed for kids, especially since the condition as described in the article really looks like what a small child seem to experience (the inability to focus, the constant distraction, etc.). And because it is much less rare to see someone in their 20s saying they have ADHD than to see some parent saying their kid has it. It is convenient for a parent to think that their kid has ADHD to explain why the kid is "late". Here the problem really is about "lateness". Children grow up at different paces, and if a 6-year-old boy behaves like an "average" 4-year-old, people will think he has ADHD, while his brain might just need more time to develop. There are kids who finish high school before hitting 10. Do we diagnose them with anything? Like Attention Surplus Disorder? No, because it doesn't seem to induce any trouble. The ADHD as described in the article sounds like a nightmare to be honest, and I really wish scientists find some way to help these people.

TrackerFF 7y ago
The thing with ADHD is that some type of kids are overdiagnosed, while other types are underdiagnosed. Basically if your kid suffers from: - Poor academic performance - Hyperactivity - Poor social skills (gets in trouble, fighting, etc.) Then they're most likely gonna get recommended to ADHD evaluation. But as you might guess, a lot of kids suffer from those things without necessarily having ADHD. Some kids, like myself, mellowed out, and lost pretty much all the traits other than those of ADD. But I did just well enough in school - despite putting zero effort into it - that I flew under the radar. Teachers figured I was just too busy fooling around / lazy / uninterested in some topics, while my parents argued that I was too hung up in sports / gaming / playing instruments. And unfortunately, by the time you're a teenager, you only have one idea of what ADHD looks like: It's the troubled kids in class that got diagnosed early on, and can't cope in school; The "academic losers", as they are unfortunately branded. In fact, that's the reason I didn't get diagnosed until my late 20's. My ex-gf hinted to me that I scored very high on ADHD / ADD checklist, but no way I thought, the only people I know with ADHD are those that never graduated from HS, and now are either criminals or minimum-wage workers. Well, got myself evaluated, and sure enough, ADD. It was a thorough process, and took a LONG time.

by d--b 7y ago

TrackerFF 7y ago

The thing with ADHD is that some type of kids are overdiagnosed, while other types are underdiagnosed. Basically if your kid suffers from: - Poor academic performance - Hyperactivity - Poor social skills (gets in trouble, fighting, etc.) Then they're most likely gonna get recommended to ADHD evaluation. But as you might guess, a lot of kids suffer from those things without necessarily having ADHD. Some kids, like myself, mellowed out, and lost pretty much all the traits other than those of ADD. But I did just well enough in school - despite putting zero effort into it - that I flew under the radar. Teachers figured I was just too busy fooling around / lazy / uninterested in some topics, while my parents argued that I was too hung up in sports / gaming / playing instruments. And unfortunately, by the time you're a teenager, you only have one idea of what ADHD looks like: It's the troubled kids in class that got diagnosed early on, and can't cope in school; The "academic losers", as they are unfortunately branded. In fact, that's the reason I didn't get diagnosed until my late 20's. My ex-gf hinted to me that I scored very high on ADHD / ADD checklist, but no way I thought, the only people I know with ADHD are those that never graduated from HS, and now are either criminals or minimum-wage workers. Well, got myself evaluated, and sure enough, ADD. It was a thorough process, and took a LONG time.