Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects approximately 7 percent of the U.S. population and is typically identified by early childhood. But as USA Today reports, some kids can slip under the radar and avoid detection until well into their teen years “because they do not have the type of ADHD that involves running around and creating havoc.”
While children who are boisterous and high energy are easily identifiable as potentially having ADHD, psychologist Ari Tuckman said children who don’t display hyperactive qualities are not always diagnosed. Still, these adolescents usually have difficulty paying attention and are highly distractible.
“The hyperactive kids make themselves known,” Tuckman said. “The inattentive ones fly under the radar.”
Tuckman said he is hopeful that the American Academy of Pediatrics’ new guidelines for diagnosing ADHD will assist pediatricians in diagnosing these individuals with ADHD earlier in life.
Read the rest of the USA Today article
Heather Rudow is a staff writer for Counseling Today. Email her at hrudow@counseling.org.