Youngest Students, Especially Boys, Are More Often Labeled With ADHD Diagnosis, Started On Drugs, Study Finds
Even a couple months can make a big difference in a student's ability to focus in class, researchers found in the largest study looking at a strict Sept. 1 cutoff birth-date cutoff date for enrollment. Researchers studied ADHD diagnoses for children born in August, the youngest in their classes, compared with those born in September, who became the oldest in their classes.
The Associated Press:
Younger School Entry Could Set Stage For ADHD Diagnosis
The youngest children in kindergarten are more likely to be diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in early grades, a study shows, an intriguing finding for parents on the fence about when to start their child in school. The study found younger students, especially boys, are also more likely to be started on medications for ADHD and kept on the drugs longer than the oldest children. The medications are generally safe, but can have harmful side effects. (Johnson, 11/28)
The Washington Post:
Youngest Kids In Class Are More Likely To Be Diagnosed With ADHD Than Oldest Kids, Study Finds
The new analysis is likely to fuel the debate about whether there is an epidemic of ADHD in the United States or whether the problem is overdiagnosis. The number of children diagnosed with ADHD has significantly increased, from 7.8 percent in 2003 to 11.0 percent in 2011-2012 for children ages 4 to 17, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The number among younger children, ages 2 to 5, jumped by more than 50 percent from 2007 to 2011. The most recent numbers released by the CDC — which recently changed how it counts ADHD — showed that 9.4 percent of children ages 2 to 17 had been diagnosed, the equivalent of 6.1 million children across the country. (Wan, 11/28)
NPR:
ADHD Diagnosis Is More Common For Youngest Students In Class
"You could certainly imagine a scenario in which two kids who are in a class who are different in age by almost a year could be viewed very differently by a teacher, or school personnel who's evaluating them," says Dr. Anupam Jena, a physician and economist at Harvard Medical School. "A year of age difference in a 5-year-old or a 6-year-old is huge." (Harris, 11/28)
