It is common with ADHD to sometimes over diagnose in some cases. It is so common to see an unruly child and to automatically and comically assume the child has ADHD. The misuse of the word to label unruly children is a stigma to individuals who really have the disorder. In some cases, it is also clinically over diagnosed.
The article, “What We Know About ADHD Overdiagnosis” from Healthline takes a closer look at ADHD diagnosis and if there are issues with over diagnosis. The article states,
“Researchers found that those close to the child may have unconscious beliefs or biases about how ADHD “looks.” This can lead to imbalanced diagnosis rates in males compared with females. This may explain why more male children receive an ADHD diagnosis than female children. The researchers also reported that clinicians tended to assess children or teens based strictly on numerical age, instead of how old they are when compared with their peers. This means that a child on the younger side of their grade in school, for example, might be diagnosed with ADHD, while their peers who behave similarly might not because they’re slightly older.”
To read the entire article, please click here
Over diagnosis can be a big issue and put children who do not need labeled or on unnecessary medication through unnecessary care. It is important to understand ADHD and hold to stricter diagnosis standards.
Please also review AIHCP’s ADHD Consulting Certification and see if it matches your academic and professional goals. The program is online and independent study and open to qualified professionals seeking a four year certification as an ADHD Consultant.