ADHD Why is it being diagnosed so much these days.?

Have you noticed all the ADHD and ADD children there are in the school systems. These children are being diagnosed in kindergarden or ealier. Is the schools part of the problem? How can we as parents stop the madness? My child is in a classroom of 19 children, of these children 8 are diagnosed with ADHD. Does anyones else see this as a problem? (Yes my son is one of the ADHD children...he was diagnosed in 2nd grade)

In many cases, doctors are diagnosing ADHD and ADD based on the parents description of the child's symptoms. These symptoms are sometimes a result of poor discipline methods. Somtimes parents cannot control thier children, so they medicate them.

Sometimes, children actually have ADHD or ADD. Without objective testing, there is no way to tell if the symptoms are a result of parenting or an actual disorder.

Parents can help to stop the madness by insisting on a psychiatric consult to determine the child's diagnosis rather than a family doctor who may not have much training in psychiatric medicine.

As a person who suffers from a mental illness, it has been my experience that general practitioners don't know enough about psychiatric medications and illnesses to properly diagnose and treat them. After a psychiatrist has evaluated and successfuly treated a patient, a general practitioner can maintain that course of treatment so it is not necessary to return to a psychiatrist until a change is needed.

How do you know there are 7 besides your child? The only one who has a right to share that information with you is the parents of the other children.

Funny I was talking to my 11yr old about this today.

We are a homeschooling family. I know for a fact if my kids were in school 2 of them would labeled ADHD.

They are both active kids, love to talk and full of life.

Honestly I feel a lot of kids labeled this are not really ADD or ADHD. I think it is more personality than a mental problem. It is so sad. These kids are being drugged and well doped up to make them tired, sit still and STILL unable to focus.

True I believe there are some kids who do have this problem and are helped by the meds. I have an uncle and cousin who are meds for this. I personally though don't see a difference and they still struggle but again I think it is just there personailty.

Classes today are crowded, the teachers are under paid and in my mind a lot of them have no need to be in the classroom. Expectations are set high and then kids fail so the system lowers them. Kids are being held back and still struggling. It is really sad. So what do they do? Drug the active and strong personality kids so they will sit still and listen. The teachers can't discipline how they use to for fear of law suits. Teachers fear growing close to a child for law suits too so bonding is less likely lowering the student teacher relationship.

Now let's look at the kids who are labeled ADHD & ADD. If a child is labeled this they are said to be unable to focus, unable to sit still for a period of time and their mind is going from one thing to another. YET these same kids can sit for hours in front of a computer, tv & hand held video games! Go figure. lol

I feel sorry for these kids. I have a nephew and when his teacher sent home a note for him to be tested and puts on meds my father in law pretty much said, "Over my dead body! He's just a normal active boy who needs to be taught to sit still and listen." He would do some much better homeschooled with one on one attition and his self esteem goes down ever time he is sent home with yet another letter from his teacher.

It's sad really. Yet again without a doubt if my kids were in school 2 of them would be labeled ADHD and ADD. I am sure I would too. lol

I have adhd and its a fact that it is being diagnosed way to much because drugs like ritalin adderall dexies,ect,ect,ect seems like it is all just big business for the pharmacutical companys.

Yea I think it is being way diagnosed. There are a few kids that really do have it, but now that ADHD is well know and parents want every advantage for their child. I think some get diagnosed who arnt ADHD, because their parents probally think that if their child takes ritalin and has extra time, and tutoring it gives them advantages over other children. I dont think thats right for ADHD children and other children that normal children take advantage of extra resources that are meant for ADHD kids.

Please take no offense.
But its just what it says Lack of attention...You see ..and I understand...Day care is the problem and the so called cure is drugs?
I dint think so. But the big picture is that today both parents must work to make ends meet and unless you have a family member to care for the little ones your only option is daycare and they do nothing for your child and you child is there for 6 to 8 hours or more.
Kids require three basic things, discipline, to learn to pay attention and learn to obey. All of these are taught by Loving parents..not minimum wage daycare people or some uneducated person running a home day care from home for extra money..
And the Child abuse issue...I do not know wher spanking your kid once in a while became abuse but it did and everyone is so quick to say you are a child abuser because you spanked your kid...and the ones that truly do abuse thier kids go free because the people that look into these things are to busy to catch the real ones. the schools can not do anything anymore and the parents of a lot of kids just want the schools and daycares to raise thier kids.
It is not easy raising kids and with all the single parents out there (including me) I know.
The problem is not the schools...The problem is how we deal with our kids.

The medical association knows why there's so many kids with ADHD but they're not telling us. It could be from the childhood vacinnations. Amish kids don't have ADHD and they never get vaccinnated. I don't think the schools are part of the problem, although these kids are typically out of control in the schools. They haven't quite figured out how to handle them compared to normal children. It also could be their sugar diets, who knows.