Do you think ADHD is over-diagnosed these days?

Question

Compared to 10 years ago, do you think that kids are over-diagnosed with ADHD by doctors? 10 years ago, kids would have to go through tests to be diagnosed. Now if a doctor thinks it is ADHD, they'll just give pills. If a kid is just hyper, it's ADHD. If a kid acts out, it's ADHD. If a kid only wants to play computer games, it's ADHD. 
I know there are kids who are given the correct diagnosis. But I think it's an excuse for the doctors not wanting to be bothered, and for parents to just give their kids a medication to mellow them out instead of actually keeping them active and teaching them right from wrong. Nowadays if a kid acts out in public, parents say it's ADHD, even when it's just a naughty kid. 
My stepson has ADHD, and it's a correct diagnosis because of his attention span and other issues. 
But just because a kid acts out doesn't mean they have ADHD.

Answer

I've also seen kids wrongly diagnosed with ADHD when they were actually on the autism spectrum. Acting out, not liking change in routine, repetitive actions, not paying attention fully, etc etc. 
My mother works with specially abled kids, and she's also noticed this on top of the fact that many of the ADHD diagnosed kids are actually just hyper kids without a structured home life.

Answer

Boys tend to be well over diagnosed with ADHD while girls tend to be well under diagnosed.

Answer

What makes you think they don't go through testing? I think you have it backwards... 10 years ago a teacher could claim your child had adhd and a doc would believe them and write a script. Insurance won't cover meds, and a general doctor will not prescribe them without proper testing and diagnosis now. There's been a huge Crack down on meds, the government regulates the amount each drug company can make, which means every year there is a shortage of meds. Every year for about 3 months, anyone with adhd (or add) has to scramble to find their meds, what makes it harder is that each manufacturer that makes a generic, makes the med differently, and I only take generic meds in general, but for some reason, variations really affect adhd meds. I'm also allergic to the fillers in one brand, so when there's a shortage, I have to go all over to find my brand, and pharmacies won't tell you if they have stock over the phone. I have to go to my doc every month for a urine test and blood test, just to get a new script. I had to go through 3 months of appointments and testing with a physiologist, and have her supervising psychiatrist check my tests before I could even get a diagnosis. It's not easy.

Many behavioral disorders present with similar symptoms, and they're all often misdiagnosed. What I find ridiculous about this post is that you're claiming that others don't really have it, but of course you're stepson actually does.....

Answer

I think it definitely doesn't help that our kids now days are just overstimulated as well. Between TV, iPods, iPhones, iPads, video games, etc. They are exposed to far too much stimulation as such a young age, when their little brains are still developing. It causes their brains to expect constant stimulation.

Answer

Flip side though, I think it was under diagnosed 10 years ago, because it wasn't understood.

Answer

If parents are diligent, they will get multiple opinions and look at every aspect of their child and not just focus on one thing such as inattention, hyper activity, etc. 
ADHD is a neurological condition and just like any other neurological condition, can be misdiagnosed since there's no one test you can take to determine if it is the cause. 
I do agree w the previous post regarding ADHD going undiagnosed in the past because it wasn't understood.

Answer

I think American culture tends toward being overly diagnostic in general. It's for an understandable reason though. In order for most insurance to cover any form of treatment a diagnosis must be made. That doesn't mean at all that anytime a child is slightly overly enthusiastic we're just pumping them full of drugs with out asking any questions.

ADD and ADHD are both very real conditions, that require very real treatment. Whether medication is a part of that should be between the patient (or parents depending on age) and their doctor. It should be a practical decision not a moral one. I'd always rather see more services allocated toward children who need them, even if it means were over medicalizing things a bit.

As to increased diagnoses made in the last ten years I'd like to see research to back that up. If in fact that is the case, and a higher number of children are being labeled ADD/ADHD. I'd be interested in exploring reasons other than lazy parents/stupid doctors. I'd be curious to know if there's any known link between increased use of technology in our daily lives, and an overall decrease in attention spans. (Not that I think technology causes ADD/ADHD)

Answer

By the way, I'm not the OP here. I'm just really interested in this topic.

Answer

Heck to the yes.

Do you think ADHD is over-diagnosed these days?

The Top Baby Tracker App: Embrace New Beginnings with Tender Care

The Top Fertility Tracker App: Your Path to Achieving Pregnancy

The Top Pregnancy App: Nurturing Your Journey to Motherhood

The Top Period Tracker for Empowering Your Menstrual Health Journey