Many parents are having a difficult time recognizing if their kids are just being kids or if they actually have a mental condition called Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD. ADHD symptoms include difficulty in focusing, restlessness and being impulsive. It turns out that doctors are also having a hard time correctly diagnosing ADHD, according to a new research.
This new study finds that a child's immaturity is being misdiagnosed as ADHD by many doctors, The Trumpet reports. The study was conducted by Taiwanese researchers involving about 400,000 students ages 4 to 17.
"Significant variation in ADHD prevalence worldwide may indicate the debate and the concern for subjectivity in ADHD diagnosis," the study's lead author Dr. Mu-Hong Chen said. The Taiwanese study further confirms previous studies in Canada, Spain, Sweden and the United States.
According to a recent #study from #TheChildMindInstitute, twice as many #boys as #girls are #diagnosed with #ADHD pic.twitter.com/V5pOMAszcJ
— Brain Balance GA (@BrainBalanceGA) March 22, 2016
The research team found that the youngest kids in classrooms are twice more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD compared to the oldest kids in those classrooms. "The birthday cutoff for the Taiwanese school year is August 31. While only 2.8 percent of children born in September were diagnosed, 4.5 percent of August babies were diagnosed," the Trumpet explains.
Aside from poor attention span, restlessness and impulsivity, there are other indicators of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. ADHD symptoms include being disorganized; difficulties focusing and concentrating on tasks; poor listening skills; jumping from one topic to another during conversations; forgetful about daily activities and tasks; and being easily distracted by stimuli that are usually not noticed by other people, according to WebMD.
Other ADHD symptoms include being fidgety; moving around frequently even during inappropriate moments; difficulty performing calm and quiet activities; being talkative; starting conversations during inappropriate times; interrupting conversations; being impatience and difficulties waiting for their turn.
Looking at these ADHD symptoms, it is easy to see why many doctors are misdiagnosing children's immaturity for ADHD. Find out how to deal with your child if he or she has ADHD by watching the video below:
