ADHD in children: cases have increased, study finds

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Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been discovered to be prevalent in almost a third of American children and what is even more surprising, most of these children have been diagnosed before the age of six years old. This is based on a new study, citing that promising trends are on the rise for the neurobehavioral disorder.

CNN reports that for the past ten years, ADHD rates are in constant rise -- up to 5 percent -- and yet there is no definitive method of diagnosis. Dr. Susanna Visser, the lead author and epidemiologist from the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities under the US Centers for Disease Prevention and Control, explains that as ADHD traits can be similar to that of typical behavior reflected by kids, it is most important to recognize, diagnose and treat correctly if the child has the disorder. The findings will put to test experts when it comes to using the recommended methods for properly diagnosing children, she adds.

Clinical evaluations and multiple sources input from parents, teachers and other close family members are needed before a recommendation for diagnosis is given. However, the current process has a limitation wherein the primary care physician or pediatricians are time-challenged to complete a comprehensive evaluation. Dr. Robert Doyle, a psychiatrist from the Massachusetts General Hospital, shares that ADHD can't be diagnosed immediately, as other factors play a role in its existence.

UPI shares that the researchers were able to conduct the study by using data obtained from the National Survey of the Diagnosis and Treatment of ADHD and Tourette Syndrome phone survey. Parents of more than 3,000 children participated in the call-in from January to June of 2014. The mean age, based on the obtained data, is seven, of which 64.7 percent have been through the assistance of a family member and more than 30 percent have been detected through the help of a teacher or daycare employee.

ABC News adds that most experts find the study fair and gratifying, as it suggests that most doctors are accurately diagnosing patients, especially children. Dr. Francisco Castellanos, professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at NYU, believes that parents are becoming more involved in the awareness of the disorder, checking if their children are showing any symptoms. And doctors are actually taking them seriously.

Furthermore, children are now seeing specialists before the age of six, even before they get diagnosed with ADHD. It is a clear indication that the sense of "waiting it out as it will go away" will soon be a thing of the past.