| By :
V K Rajagopalan
ADHD is a condition that is often not diagnosed or misdiagnosed in children. Usually showing up in children younger than the age of seven, it can many times not be discovered until later in life. Many children outgrow ADHD before they reach adulthood, but many will have to deal with it all of their lives. Looking at the ADHD statistics, you can get a quick overview of the number of children affected by this disorder. First of all, do not be concerned that this is a learning disability, because it is not. ADHD is easy to notice, because the child usually displays fidgety behavior, inattentiveness to the task at hand, and a level of rambunctiousness that is hard to miss. While these forms of behavior can be trying, it is only when it appears repeatedly and affects the child's ability to listen, concentrate and understand instructions when it rises to the level of being ADHD. Genetics plays a large part in this disorder, and it appears to run in families. There is a school of thought that feels ADHD is being reported more often by parents and doctors who are overmedicating and labeling the problem; they also feel that this is creating unnecessary problems by diagnosing and medicating children who don't really have the disorder. As a result, there should be ADHD statistics we need to be aware of. Of course, the figures change all the time, so all numbers and percentages are approximate. Starting in 2006, the condition has been tracked with an increase each of about 5 ½ %. Twice to four times as many boys are diagnosed with it than girls. Only 2-4% of adults in the United States have ADHD, while the number is more than 5% in children. Recently it's been found that teenage children have exhibited ADHD symptoms at a higher rate than that of younger children. That may well be because people are more aware now than they were ten years ago, and doctors and teachers are more knowledgeable about the symptoms. In every 30 student classroom, there will be anywhere from one to three students with ADHD. Statistically children have been shown to develop at a rate of 30% slower than children without it. It is sobering to think that a sixteen year old ADHD teen who is taking Drivers Ed, is operating on the level of an eleven year old as far as decision making goes. About 50% of these kids will have trouble with comprehension, and at least 25% will suffer serious difficulties in mathematics, reading comprehension and oral expression. Up to 65% of these children will have defiance issues, temper tantrums and problems with authority figures. A third of ADHD students will have difficulty remembering things, be poor at organizing, and struggle with the fine motor skills. Insomnia also plagues around 50% of these children, and they will need medication in order to sleep. Boys are more hyperactive up to 75% compared to girls at 60%. Teenage ADHD suffers tend to get more traffic tickets and have a higher incidence of accidents than children without the condition. Twenty-one percent of them miss school on a regular basis with at least a 5% drop out rate overall. 45% of them are suspended. And how is this for ADHD statistics? The likelihood of parents getting a divorce with an ADHD child is three times higher than the average divorce rate.
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