Why are people so quick to assume adhd?

Question

anytime i post a question about my 12 y/o step son having a hard time with school and staying focused or disciplinary questions, or anyone else that posts questions about their kids being lazy in school, most people just say, "oh, you should get him tested for adhd. it sounds like he has it" When quite frankly, i think that it is WAY over diagnosed. Is it just me or does anyone else think other parents use it as an excuse for their kids slacking off? I mean dont get me wrong, I know a lot of children that have severe ADHD, and i truly believe that everyone has a small case of it. but am i wrong to think people over diagnose it? and we did have him tested and he doesnt have it. he is just lazy. like a normal pre-teen.

Answer 1

I think you need a life! I was diagnosed with dyspaxia and ADD. Not to metion ocular vision. I think its not over diagnosed cos I struggled through school my whole life till 13.

But, they do it because the school teachers get shitloads of money (trust me).

Answer 2

I agree with you. I think a lot of parents and teachers find it easier to mask behavior problems with medication than it is to deal with them. There are kids with adhd of course, but I don't think every child who is diagnosed actually has it.

Answer 3

Doesn't sound like adhd at all!! Just a lazy teenager thing (pre-teen). Ya, I do agree it's sad how they're drugging up our little boys instead of disiplining themselves and not worrying if they "excel" in school. I've been working in special education for years at all levels/schools. Your step-son is just lazy. A lot of kiddo's go through that stage. It's just another thing you have to wait for this kid to grow out of. There's not a dam thing wrong with him! Just work with him. Make him remember you by ... "My step mama worked that lazy right out me!" He'll do the same with his kids. See, it's not that bad being a parent. Good-Luck!

Answer 4

It is the most over diagnosed disease there is. I am sure kids have it but not as many as are treated for it. Discipline goes a long way toward helping a kid focus. They try to tell me my daughter had it but she focus' on what she wants to focus on. So I try to make school work fun for her. Give her gifts when she does well. Take things away when she does bad. It gives her an incentive. She has an A average this year. Kids have an inate ability to pay attention to sponge bob but not mothers and fathers or teachers. I hope he doesn't have adhd but try everything else first. No one wants a riddling zombie.

Answer 5

I agree.  I some research about it for a college paper once.  The school I asked for info had 30% of their students on meds for ADHD.  I don't think 30% of the population has one disorder.  I think it's used as an excuse for several things.  I will probably get some negatives, but I do think it's used as a cure for lazy parenting sometimes.  I also believe that we have taken being a kid to an extreme.  Every minute of some childrens lives are scheduled between school and extra curricular.  When do they have time to just be a kid and run around and have fun.  Kids are supposed to be noisy and active.

Answer 6

I do agree...it's just a quick diagnosis and your handed medication...some people or kids are just lazy or being difficult and It seems to just be their personality

Answer 7

I absolutely agree that it's over diagnosed. There are also kids that are sensitive, very intense and easily distractable. They get mistaken for being adhd but they aren't really. They're very close to ADHD but they're still within the realm of normal. That may be your son. In that case, he simply needs help learning good study habits and how to focus.

Answer 8

Most children diagnosed with ADHD are missed diagnosed.  My oldest daughter was slacking off and not paying attention in school, she is 7, and everyone including her teacher said I should have her tested for ADHD, and well I did even though I know she did not, but wanted to shut everyone up, as it was only in school she was like this.  Well after being tested, they said she did and well I wanted a second opinion as I was not convinced.  Well come down to everything she was just bored in school.  She now is in some gifted classes, and is doing great in school.

Answer 9

When I was a kid, "scoliosis" was the trendy disease.  Every grade you had to go see the nurse.  The nurse would make you bend over and check your back.  Then she would write a note home to your parents telling them that you showed signs of "scoliosis" and that you needed to see the doctor about it.  

I stopped giving the notes to my parents in the second grade, but kept getting them all the way up to high school (at which time we didn't have a school nurse anymore)

I don't have scoliosis, and never knew anyone that did.... but we all were diagnosed with it.

The other one of course was getting your tonsils out.... Not a whole lot of people over the age of 18 with tonsils....  Oh, you have a tooth ache?  Best get those tonsils out!

Today its ADHD.  Oh, you have a tooth ache, most likely a case of ADHD.  Oh, the TV is boring your kid to tears, definitely a case of ADHD.  You've locked your kid in the school and told them to not move, then when they get home they are bouncing off the walls?  Gotta be ADHD!

The cool part about ADHD, is that you don't have to wear one of those awful exoskeletons that those scoliosis kids had to wear and you get to keep all your body parts.

Answer 10

I have always been against the diagnosis of adhd.... Although recently (this last year) I believe my daughter has add (without they hyper part).

I am one of the those people who refuses to treat fevers and etc... just to get rid of it when they are fighting it fine on their own. I don't like treating things with medications or diagnosing every little thing.

I honestly believe... my daughters school problems are related to her add now. We have done the testing and made adjustments to her educational and home environments and her grades/behavior have improved a lot.

We have not used any medications to treat it.

Sometimes having the testing done can help you in identifying where his issues are and then help you create a plan to help him improve those areas.

But yes I agree they are way over diagnosed and mis-diagnosed due to lack of physical and mental stimulation.

Answer 11

TOTALLY overdiagnosed.  I just went through this with my almost 11 year old son.  many tests and psychology appointments.  What a nightmare.  All to find out that he does not have ADHD, ADD, dyslexia, or any other learning dissability.  He is in the 51st percentile in all subjects but math which he is in the 75th percentile.  These teachers just want their jobs to be easy.  They don't want a child to do anything but sit still and listen.  Many children just get bored with material that they learn very quickly and find things to occupy themselves rather than rehash things over and over... which is the case with my son.  He is also very disorganized!  So was I at his age, then something finally clicked, and now I am OCD!  I too believe that there are SOME children who have ADHD, BUT there are also a lot of parents who use it as an EXCUSE for poor behavior!