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Is ADHD Real?
Because most people agree those statements above are true, some people say there is no such thing as ADHD. If everyone has the “symptoms,” they say, it can't be a disorder.
What they argue is false. For example, everyone has times when their blood sugar spikes up: after a birthday party, you can be sure everyone who ate cake and ice cream has high blood sugar. But the blood sugar of most children will go down again in a little while. The child whose blood sugar does not go down, but stays abnormally high all the time, may have a medical condition called diabetes.
All children can be distracted. All children have times when they start something they don't finish: a long book, a craft project or a household chore. However, if it is more persistent, frequent and severe than their peers, that's a disorder. It's called ADHD.
Experts set the criteria for calling the symptoms inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity a disorder:
- Symptoms appear before the child is 7 years old
- The symptoms appear in more than one place
- Symptoms have been present and persistent for more than six months
- The symptoms are so frequent and severe that they interfere with social and academic functioning
- Symptoms are not better accounted for by other mental health disorders
Continue to read about ADHD symptoms.
Find out more about the history of ADHD and be sure to read the frequently asked questions.
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