While it is difficult to know exactly how many children are misdiagnosed as having ADHD, a study found that nearly 1 million children are misdiagnosed with ADHD.
Overall, the study found that about 20 percent – or 900,000 – of the 4.5 million children currently identified as having ADHD likely have been misdiagnosed.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, misdiagnosis can happen because many of its symptoms overlap with those of other conditions. The symptoms of ADHD — such as difficulty concentrating, restlessness, and finding it hard to respond to instructions — can all arise from a wide variety of causes.
Anxiety, depression, learning disorders, physical health, and many other conditions can cause symptoms that look like ADHD but aren't.
What can be mistaken for ADHD? ADHD symptoms may overlap with the signs of other conditions, leading to misdiagnosis. For example: Feeling distracted or having difficulty focusing can be a symptom of ADHD and symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Although it is true that overdiagnosis means that some people without ADHD receive treatment, on the whole, people with ADHD are actually undertreated.
Atypical Presentation of ADHD Symptoms
Impaired sense of time (loses track of time, often late, hates waiting, avoids doing homework, etc.) Sleep disturbances (has trouble with sleep initiation, sleep deprived, can't wake up easily, etc.)
It's normal for children to occasionally forget their homework, daydream during class, act without thinking, or get fidgety at the dinner table. But inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity are also signs of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), sometimes known as attention deficit disorder or ADD.
ADHD causes kids to be more inattentive, hyperactive, and impulsive than is normal for their age. ADHD makes it harder for kids to develop the skills that control attention, behavior, emotions, and activity. As a result, they often act in ways that are hard for parents manage.
ADHD can be diagnosed as early as four years old. To be diagnosed between the ages of four and 16, a child must show six or more symptoms for more than six months, with most signs appearing before age 12.
A child who shows a pattern of hyperactive and impulsive symptoms may often: Fidget with or tap his or her hands or feet, or squirm in the seat. Have difficulty staying seated in the classroom or in other situations. Be on the go, in constant motion.
“About two-thirds of children who have ADHD will continue to meet criteria for ADHD by the time they're adults,” says Dr. Ruggiero.
The key difference is that with ADHD, your child usually has trouble paying attention and they're hyperactive. With ODD, your child is defiant, cranky, and angry. ADHD symptoms tend to show up when your child is 12 or younger. For some, it can start as early as 3 years old.
Both anxiety and ADHD can cause people to tune out and get caught up in their emotions — just for different reasons. People with ADHD have trouble paying attention because they have trouble focusing. People with anxiety have trouble paying attention because they're distracted by worries and fears.
The causes of overdiagnosis may include changes in diagnostic thresholds, poor diagnostic practices, and advertising by the pharmaceutical industry. Overdiagnosis leads to overtreatment, and dramatic increases in prescriptions for adult ADHD during the last decade should arouse concern.
ADHD is the most prevalent mental disorder affecting children in Australia – it affects approximately 281,200 Australian children and adolescents (aged 0-19) In Australia ADHD is currently under-diagnosed, particularly in girls and in the adult population.
CDC warns that Americans may be overmedicating youngest children with ADHD. U.S. health officials are urging parents of preschoolers with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to try behavior therapy first before trying drugs — and they're calling on insurers to cover the treatments.
“Nobody has perfect memory… but for [people with ADHD], it's extreme. They feel like they're lost all the time,” Almagor said. He believes this is why people don't take ADHD seriously. “I think that's why some people don't respect the severity of what [a person with ADHD] can experience,” he said.
2 Many students with ADHD can fall behind while reading, missing phrases in the text, skipping over words or sentences, losing track of where they are on the page, missing details and connections. This is especially evident when passages are long and complex.