ALL the time! I'm constantly having to run ADHD programs for teachers and parents who think their kids have ADHD. It seems to me though that ADHD is overdiagnosed and a lot of kids are medicated because they just can't behave. Better parenting and better control of classrooms is in order for some of these kids. When you see a trend that Mrs. Smith thinks EVERY kid in her class has ADHD, you start to wonder if the problem is her class management skills. In the school system, the rating is subjective. I'm not sure what doctors do to diagnose it. I don't know if they have to do physical tests or if they just take a parent's word for it and give them the medication.

ADHD is mistaken for other problems--like traumatic brain injury and other behaviorial syndromes. It's sort of become a catch-all diagnosis in the States. It's almost like if you're kid is bothering you or his classroom, give him medication and zombie-ize him! To me, it's alarming how many kids are taking medications for ADHD.

Becky