Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the fastest growing behavioral disorder in the U.S. About 5 to 10 percent of children in the U.S. are diagnosed with ADHD. Now research reports that the youngest children in a class are 25 percent more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than the oldest children in a class. Proper diagnosis is critical since ADHD is treated with stimulant drugs that have serious side effects.
The study, published in the Journal of Health Economics, investigated the association between children’s age and rates of ADHD diagnosis and treatment. Researchers at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana analyzed data from national health surveys and private health insurance claims from 1996 to 2006.
The researchers found that children born just after the kindergarten eligibility cutoff date were significantly less likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than those born just before the cutoff date. Children born just before the cutoff date are among the youngest in their class. The researchers suggest the youngest children are mistakenly diagnosed with ADHD because they are less mature for their grade.
“Since ADHD is an underlying neurological problem where incidence rates should not change dramatically from one birth date to the next, these results suggest that age relative to peers in class, and the resulting differences in behavior, directly affects a child’s probability of being diagnosed with and treated for ADHD,” the study authors conclude.
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