Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Increasing

 

MAX TRAN Staff Writer

 

According to the Center for Disease Prevention and Control, ADHD, also known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, causes symptoms like the lack of attention and impulsive behaviors. It is likely to be diagnosed early while someone is still a child. While the percentage of kids who were previously diagnosed with ADHD was 6 to 7 percent, according to JAMA Pediatrics, the number has risen to 10 percent as of 2015. This sudden increase of ADHD cases brings up the question of what exactly is causing ADHD.

According to the CDC, factors that can cause ADHD include brain injury, premature delivery, as well as use of alcohol during pregnancy and low birth weight. It can also be caused by environmental issues for kids like poverty or family chaos. This can all cause a child to have ADHD as they grow older. A common misconception is that people get ADHD from eating too much sugar. “ADHD is not a environmental factor” junior Jaylen Luc said. “I think that ADHD is increasing in recent years… due to over-diagnosis.”

The CDC’s statistics about the percentage of students with ADHD currently receiving treatment is at 77 percent amongst people age 2-17. “Schools should pay more attention to cases of ADHD because many students have it but do not know what to do,” junior Nushrat Esha said. “Schools should offer more resources in order to help these students gain confidence in themselves.” While there are many different potential solutions for this issue, one is to offer more people necessary treatment to deal with ADHD. If more people have access to treatment, there is a higher possibility of helping more people.