Labeling Our Children Too Young: Could We Be Misdiagnosing A.D.H.D.?
In the article “Is It Just A.D.H.D. Or Just Immaturity”, by KJ Dell’Antonia it is cited that “new research shows that the youngest students in a classroom are more likely to be given a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder than the oldest.” This seems to point to the issue that possibly children are being mislabeled A.D.H.D., when all they are is a little immature and may not be able to sit still. Although early diagnosis is always best for a child’s intervention, it is mandatory that we carefully and accurately diagnosis the child before incorrectly labeling them. So, thereby lies the question….how can we be sure if a child is demonstrating A.D.H.D., or is it just immaturity?
Well in my opinion, there is a big difference between a child who is a little wiggly and distractible and a child who has no control over their behaviors and attention. Additionally, this behavior will be present in ALL activities and settings not isolated to just one activity or one setting; for example, the child will demonstrate distractibility not only in school settings but also in social ones at the doctor, supermarket, etc. So, how do we know when to draw the line between developmentally appropriate behavior and developmentally inappropriate behavior.
“When you take people who are in a 15-minute pediatric primary care physician’s office visit, and the mother describes hyperactivity and the physician automatically prescribes medication; that’s a problem….Many parents who describe concerns about children’s behavior …..aren’t describing developmentally inappropriate behavior…They’re describing behavior that does not meet certain expectations.” Therefore, it is crucial for us as professionals working with children to always keep in mind the needs of the child. Sometimes we want our needs to become more important than their needs. Our needs for total structure and discipline, our needs for following expectations, etc. but it should always come back to the needs of the child. They are our primary purpose.
Yes, I do feel early diagnosis and intervention is a wonderful tool but it has to be applied properly. Dumping the wrong kids into a label is not what this was meant for. We as teachers are still responsible to flag students but with caution. It is then up to the expertise of the clinician to evaluate their situations thereafter.
