A new study found that the youngest students in their class are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than their peers. The study was performed recently by Taiwanese researchers.
Attention deficit disorder (ADHD) is the inability to sustain attention and control activity levels. This behavioral condition impairs children's ability to learn. In the United Kingdom, this conditions affects around 400,000 children or up to 7 percent of the total number of British children.
In Taiwan, as in England, the school year's birthday cut-off is August 31. The study performed by the research team from Taiwan has found that children born in August were almost twice as likely to have ADHD as those born the previous September. That means that many children diagnosed with ADHD may just simply be immature as the youngest students in their class.
According to BBC News, the research team explained that many ADHD cases may be traced down to teachers, who are comparing the behavior of the least and most mature children in their class. The study was published in the Journal of Pediatrics.
The Taiwanese research team found that for pre-school and primary school boys, the incidence of ADHD diagnosed cases increased from 2.8 percent of those born in September to 4.5 percent of those born the following August. For pre-school and primary school girls, the incidence increased from 0.7 percent to 1.2 percent.
According to the research team, the number of children being diagnosed with ADHD worldwide has significantly increased. Evidence found by this new study suggests that relative age could be "a proxy of neuro-cognitive ability". A younger age of students belonging to a school class may increase the chances of ADHD diagnosis.
Lead author of the Taiwanese study, Dr. Mu-Hong Chen of the Department of Psychology at Taipei Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan, declared that the findings of their research show the importance of taking into consideration the age of a student within a grade when diagnosing ADHD.
