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. While some children outgrow the disorder by the time they become adults, other children will wind up dealing with it over the length of their lifetimes. ADHD statistics will show a lot about how this disorder manifests and affects children.
One of the first things parents need to know is that this disorder is not a learning disability. Because children with this disorder have a higher level of fidgeting, lack of focus and high spirits, it’s easy to see a child who has ADHD. 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.
There is no question that genetics is a factor, as it appears more often in families that have a history of the condition. Some people think that the condition is being prescribed too frequently even with children who don’t have the disorder, and the result is labeling and overmedicating children.
As a result, there should be ADHD statistics we need to be aware of. Since the figures are dynamic and evolving, the numbers being quoted are rough approximations at best. Starting in 2006, the condition has been tracked with an increase each of about 5 ½ %. Boys, it has been shown, have been diagnosed about 2-4 times more than girls. Children in the United States with ADHD number more than 5%, while adults range from 2-4%.
One recent finding shows that teenagers have had an increased percentage ADHD incidents than that of younger children. This might be because teachers and doctors are more experienced at what to look for than they were ten years ago.
The average classroom today has thirty students in it; of which one to three will have ADHD. Statistically children have been shown to develop at a rate of 30% slower than children without it. What’s sobering about this statistic is that it means a sixteen year old teen with ADHD operates at the level of an 11 year old when it comes to making decisions.
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. As many as 65% of them will have temper tantrums, defiance, and hostility toward authority.
Memory, poor organizational and fine motor skills is another area where at least a third of ADHD children have problems. Insomnia also plagues around 50% of these children, and they will need medication in order to sleep. Boys are inclined towards higher levels of hyperactivity up to 75%, while girls average around 60% of the total group.
Teenage ADHD suffers tend to get more traffic tickets and have a higher incidence of accidents than children without the condition. While around 21% cut school regularly, the dropout rate averages around 5%. 45% of them are suspended. And how is this for ADHD statistics? Parents of these children are more than three times more likely to get divorced than parents of non-ADHD children.