Re:When starting school, younger children are more likely to...
by dragonwriter on Thursday November 29, 2018 @04:56PM
(#18564482)
It sounds a lot like what you are saying is that the diagnostic criteria for ADHD do not appropriately account for normal differences between children of different ages and sexes, and therefore systematically overdiagnose younger children and boys (or underdiagnose older children and girls, or some combination.)
But, while that may be true (it certainly sounds true), I think there is another factor at work explaining the specific result here:
If you need a diagnosis by age 7, and school is the first structured environment where symptoms are likely to be noticed, a child born in August will have essentially twice as long to manifest symptoms to qualify for the diagnosis.
If you take any condition, the number of people who will demonstrate symptoms over a two year period of observation will be greater than over a one year period, all other things being equal.
But, while that may be true (it certainly sounds true), I think there is another factor at work explaining the specific result here:
If you need a diagnosis by age 7, and school is the first structured environment where symptoms are likely to be noticed, a child born in August will have essentially twice as long to manifest symptoms to qualify for the diagnosis.
If you take any condition, the number of people who will demonstrate symptoms over a two year period of observation will be greater than over a one year period, all other things being equal.