According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the rates of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis increased an average of 5.5 percent per year from 2003 to 2007. And new research from the Canadian Medical Association Journal suggests that the youngest students in a class are more likely to be diagnosed.
According to the report, two recent studies showed a link between the relative age of children and the diagnosis of ADHD and prescription of medication. The youngest students in a class, who may be almost a year younger than their classmates, sometimes come across as immature in comparison with their peers. This has been coined the “relative-age effect” and tends to affect the younger children’s academic and athletic performance.
For the 11-year study, researchers looked at 937,943 children between the ages of 6 and 12 living in a British Columbia, where the cut-off for entry into kindergarten or first grade was Dec. 31:
“Researchers found that children were 39% more likely to be diagnosed and 48% more likely to be treated with medication for ADHD if born in December compared to January. Due to the Dec. 31 cut-off birth date for entry into school in British Columbia, children born in December would typically be almost a year younger than their classmates born in January.”
According to lead author Richard Morrow, “The relative age of children is influencing whether they are diagnosed and treated for ADHD. Our study suggests younger, less mature children are inappropriately being labeled and treated. It is important not to expose children to potential harms from unnecessary diagnosis and use of medications.”
Source: CMAJ
Heather Rudow is a staff writer for Counseling Today. Email her at hrudow@counseling.org.
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