Tomorrow's Tiferet Torah

By: Dave Gordon

More American children are being diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) than in past years. Researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that nine percent of children were diagnosed with ADHD between 2007 and 2009, whereas fewer than seven percent of children were diagnosed between 1998 and 2000. The study is published in a report from the National Center for Health Statistics. The researchers suggest that the rising rates could be the result of better access to health care, more familiarity with the disorder among doctors and more accurate screening tools, rather than an increase in the actual prevalence of the disorder. According to the National Institutes of Health, ADHD is the most common behavioral disorder among children, and involves difficulty staying focused, as well as hyperactive and/or impulsive behavior. ADHD children may have learning and behavioral problems, and they tend to require more health care because the condition requires monitoring.