A recent JAMA Network Open article indicates that as many as ten percent of American children may have Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). Although there were bigger increases in boys, African-American and non-Hispanic white children, and children from poor families and the Midwest, nearly all demographic groups showed notable increases compared to previous studies. There is no consensus about the cause(s) of the increases, which has been attributed to greater physician and parental awareness of ADHD symptoms by some and to overdiagnosis by others.
Key Takeaways:
- Studies show an increase in children diagnosed with ADHD from 1997 to 2016.
- All groups of people diagnosed have had an increase in sex, race, family income, and even location.
- It is possible the increase is due to more people being educated or biological or environmental factors.
“They found increases in total diagnoses across all groups, with significant prevalence differences by age, sex, race/ethnicity, family income, and geographic region as follows:” Read more from this journal here: https://www.additudemag.com/adhd-prevalence-increases-children/
What Could Be The Cause of All This ADHD?
There are a number of factors that could contribute to the increase in ADHD. Research suggests excessive TV watching at an early age contributes to inattention. Not only that, but video games have now captured the attention of toddlers to teens. While certainly, some screen time is not causing attentional issues, the easeful manner in which the ADHD child becomes obsessed with a fast-paced video game is no longer viewed as an innocent act. This process weakens an already ‘under-performing part of the brain. In essence, the requirement for effort-full attention is eliminated with video games. And it is this type of attention that will serve your child in almost every arena of life!
So do we point the finger exclusively toward technology?
If only it were this simple! It is not.
It is clear that a confluence of factors may be a cause, yet no one thing is clearly the culprit.
The need to develop a strong, precise parenting plan is without question if you want to handle your ADHD child with relative ease. You cannot get by with mediocre parenting tactics when your child requires more. You will need clarity, clear guidelines, firm limits, and a strong, resilient intention to do your best. It’s not easy if your child has ADHD! I encourage you to invest heavily in developing a game plan for parenting that sets a standard well above many of your friends and family. What works for the easy child…does not work for your child with ADHD. So get the parenting tools that work! You will be happy you did.
