ADHD in Children Estimated at 9%

A new study reports some attention getting numbers. The first is that about 9% of children in the United States have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder – ADHD. The second number is that only about 1/3 of them are getting medical treatment.

There have been a number of similar studies done through the years, but this study is considered important because it used the most modern diagnostic criteria Read more of the article...

by guest author Anthony Kane, MD

Developing healthy peer relationships is critical for the normal development of a child. Peer relationships have been found to be an important predictor of positive adult adjustment and behavior. Difficulty in finding friends leads to feelings of low self-esteem and these feelings usually continue into adulthood. Children with poor social skills are at risk for delinquency, academic under-achievement, and school drop out. Even though the inattentiveness, impulsiveness, and restlessness frequently persist into adult life, these problems are of less importance as the child gets older. Read more of the article...

About 5% of all children are born with ADHD.

Depending on the type of Attention Deficit Disorder that they inherit they may have some very serious challenges in childhood to overcome.

Many parents report that they knew their child had ADHD from infancy, and there is a lot of discussion taking place today regarding the use of stimulant medications with children as young as four years old.

Certainly, as children with ADD ADHD reach school age, they will have new struggles as they leave their comfortable home environment for the structure of a classroom. Often ADHD kids "hit a wall" academically in third grade, and again in the seventh grade. Read more of the article...