Photo by Ashton Bingham on Unsplash
It seems as though nowadays, everyone is talking about ADHD: whether it’s the self-diagnosis community on social media or studies about adult ADHD diagnoses, it has never been discussed with as much fervor as it has the past few years.
According to one article by the BBC, the flood of ADHD misinformation on TikTok has been highly controversial and worrisome to clinicians, some of whom feel that the misinformation is perpetuating harmful stereotypes and leading many to believe that normal quirks are symptoms of a more serious disorder. Proponents of “ADHDTok” disagree, believing that the widespread dialogue about attention deficit disorder is only removing stigma and spreading awareness.
The fact remains, however, that with the rise in self-diagnosis and a large-scale misunderstanding of how ADD symptoms actually present, many are being misdiagnosed—while actual sufferers fly under the radar at school and in the doctor’s office.
Why are Younger Kids Diagnosed More Often?
While young people are most likely to use social media to self-diagnose as “trendy” disorders, parents with young children are also at risk of internalizing inaccurate messaging about the presentation of disorders like ADHD. Sometimes what appears to be a warning sign is actually a normal behavioral quirk—or your child is just young compared to their peers.
One groundbreaking report by Child Mind Institute revealed that children who are among the youngest in their class are diagnosed with ADHD at a significantly higher rate than their peers, despite being close in age. This confirms what developmental psychology has told us for decades: children grow and mature very rapidly, with even a few months’ difference in those crucial early years making a large impact. One of the studies that confirmed this happened right in our own state of Michigan.
Watch and Wait Until They’re Older
If your child is in the younger cohort of their class, there is a good chance their ADD symptoms are a result of immaturity and they will simply grow out of them as they age. However, if your child continues to present with symptoms that significantly impact their life as they get older, it might be worth getting an assessment.
ADHD can be disruptive and frustrating, causing students to struggle with learning guilt, especially as they move into the later grades and their workload becomes heavier. It’s crucial to intervene as soon as possible, so that your child can catch up to their peers, learn to implement their own strategies for success, and gain the confidence necessary to thrive socially and academically.
Teachers see kids for most of the day, so they are more likely to notice ADD symptoms, such as difficulty sitting still and concentrating, but our special education staff (despite working with students with learning disabilities every day) advise against taking your child’s teacher’s word for it. Instead, review how they behave at home versus in the classroom. If symptoms persist after the final bell, getting an ADHD assessment might be valuable.
