Do you feel ADHD is overdiagnosed?

I am not disputing that it exists. I believe it is as real as any other illness, but do you think it is often wrongly used as an excuse for a child to behave like a spoiled brat?

YES, very. kids and parents both use it as an excuse for bad behavior and a reason not to discipline their kids.

Its very overdiagnosed these days and most people who screw up somewhere along the way need to find an excuse which is why many adults also accept it when they are told they have ADHD. I was diagnosed by my teacher with ADHD and my doctor practically yelled at her for even attempting to get me on drugs (back in the 3rd grade). It is considered the most overdiagnosed mental disorder to exist. 20 or 30 years ago, the child wouldve been considered simply rambunctious when now they are labeled as ADHD

at first i wanted to agree with you on this but then i thought about my boyfriend who has adult ADHD and IM kind of on the fence.
you do see a lot more kids who have the disorder nowadays but that could just be because of better diagnostic testing.
my boyfriend has never gotten special treatment now or as a child and i agree with the other poster that says your discriminating against persons with ADD/ADHD. How do u think the kids who have the illness and sometimes do thing out of the ordinary feel when they are constantly accused of faking it.
Just because some kids parents feel like an illness is an excuse to be lazy doesn't mean it over diagnosed. people like teachers just shouldn't be the ones to make the diagnosis.

I agree, i think most often then not it is used as an excuse to not address behaviour problems and lack of discipline. It's easier to say your child has adhd then it is to say you have not done your job as a parent and enforced proper behaviour and discipline..though in some cases i do believe the child may suffer from adhd... but it has become to easy to blame it on that then to look into what is really going on.

Absolutely, even if a kid genuinely has the disorder or another behavioural issue I think that parents too often allow them to use that an excuse for their bad actions. My cousin was diagnosed with ADD/ADHD/ODD (oppositional defiance disorder) and my aunt often tells him he isn't responsible for his actions because he's tired or his medication is wearing off or he's just different. It gives kids room to negotiate with things that shouldn't be negotiable- like using manners, asking permission, keeping their hands to themselves and doing their best. When I was my cousin's daytime caregiver I had better control over him then his parents and he respected me more because I told him I expected him to do his best at school and get his chores done and speak respectfully to me when he wanted something.

Yes, especially considering most doctors don't even base their findings on any real tests. If the child is "busy" they have ADHD. My boys went through a rather tramatic moment in their lives in which I decided to get us family therapy to help cope w/the situation. Although all of my children have absolutely no problem focusing in school for their teachers (sitting still, staying on task, completely alert and on topic) as well as for Cub Leaders, Coaches, Music Instructors, sitters, us, the doctor diagnosed them as adhd just because they did not care to sit for him. Even after obtaining all these statements on my children's behavior outside his office he still insisted they were ADHD. We sought out another therapist who told me, off the record, that he had many clients who had similar problems w/this particular doctor. The second doctor stated, after reviewing all the facts, that my boys did not appear to have ADHD, but indeed, as I thought, ptsd from the situation they experienced.

just because a lot of people have it doesn't mean its over-diagnosed...kids cant concentrate, keep there attention very long, and that's not all that ADHD is, ADHD sufferers(cant think of another word) also usually have depression-like symptoms, suicide thoughts, impulsive decision-making, and also do crazy things, like bungee jumping, skydiving etc because they are impulsive. And not all ADHD kids are spoiled, I have ADHD and I am not spoiled, I am 13, and dont get to go shopping as much as my friends, and I dont get to do everything I want, I dont get tons of stuff(I have a phone and Ipod, I dont have own computer, tons of clothes, tons of allowance, etc, like some kids (with or without ADHD, believe it or not) do. That is very stereotype-ing and could be considered discrimination, so I could sue you for this question If I wanted, you know. Just because some parents feel bad for there kids because the have a disorder and buy them things, not all do. My parents believe that even though I have ADHD doesnt mean I get special attention, I take my medicine and am (almost) normal, some parents are just wacko, and think that because there kid has ADHD there kid should get special treatment. My parents punish me as they would if my brother (who doesnt have ADHD) would be punished, because I take Aderol(ADHD/ADD medicine) and can be almost normal. Not all kids with ADHD are like that. I'm not. My bestest Friend Katie isnt(she cant get away with ANYTHING) everyone who agrees with question asker is discriminating every person with ADD and ADHD and is a typical person who believes that kids with disorders get special treatment, because not all do and you should think about what you say before you do, because not all doctors are stupid, they are the ones with the PhD here, and are generally right, and to whomever said that 20 years ago that person with ADHD would be considered a "rambunctious Child" it is because ADHD didnt exist the(well it did, but doctors didnt know it was a disorder)

I believe that anytime a child acts like a child that is what is it blamed on. the schools tried to say my daughter has it, and there is no way, she is just a normal child who is active and interested in things.

I feel it is completely overdiagnosed. If kids are put on meds to calm them down then they are being "drugged" so you can be around them, when they are normal youngsters!

YES!
I'm so glad to know I'm not the only one to think this. Doctors, parents and teachers are all so quick to jump on a possible "problem" with a child just because they'd rather be outside running around than sitting in a classroom. Now, it means you have a "problem" if you're a normal kid.

I definitely agree that ADD and ADHD exist, but too many people are using them just for their own convenience.

Were you aware that some parents will pay doctors to diagnose their child with ADHD or ADD so they will receive extra testing time and such in school?

I definitely think it's over diagnosed. The other day I got an email advertisement. It had a little test to see if your child had ADD. I took it just for the fun of it. Of course it turned out that my son has it. But then I started thinking about it. The things I answered yes to were things that every kid does. He's just being a boy. Of course he runs around the yard just to run. Sometimes he does interrupt me when I'm talking on the phone. These are things that kids do. Find me a kid that doesn't interrupt their parents sometime. That is the kid that has a problem.

Yes I agree. Some of them just need a little discipline. I have a niece that they say has this. She does not act like this with us and it seems like every time she stays they "forget" to bring her medicine. I have taken her on vacation with us before for a week. She knows when she is with someone that she has to behave with and who she does not.

Yes, but not just with ADHD. I think most doctors/parents/whomever are very quick to jump on the boat that there's something wrong with their child. Don't get me wrong, you need to be aware... but it seems like EVERY kid has something wrong with them now a days.

Any kind of "different" behavior is considered out of the ordinary. We tack a name onto someone's personality and label it mental illness. Yes, it is.

Yes. Like you said, some kids are just brats and need a whack on the rear end sometimes.

Having said that, I believe that there are kids out there that truly have an attention problem and benefit from ADHD treatment.

Yes

But, I think if the school think you child has ADHD, they should pay for the right doctor to make the diagnoses

Some is just bad parenting, but school can not really tell that to parents

Yes...But don't blame the doctors. There are many parents looking for answers and "feel" as though there must be something wrong because "their" child would never misbehave and need correction.

Perhaps less babies having babies would help.

According to Thomas Sowell, it's too often "diagnosed" by the wrong people, teachers and counselors with no professional training or experience.

Yes, you are right. There are varying degrees, but much of this relates to good parenting practice and giving adequate boundaries.

Yes!, it is a great get out clause for parents who can't possibly believe that their little CJ is just plain old fashioned naughty!

Honestly, I think ALL diagnoses are over diagnosed. If you sneeze wrong your probably bi polar.

most definitely...along with a lot of others.

Yes it is, it is often just a case of Bratatitis.

yes