| Nearly 3 to 5 percent of American children - that | | | | ADHD is marked by aggressive and impulsive |
| means both girls and boys - are affected by | | | | symptoms, girls tend to show less of this type of |
| attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD. | | | | behavior. If a girl is diagnosed with ADHD, she is |
| This puts the total incidence of American children | | | | generally older. The prevalence of ADHD in male |
| suffering from ADHD at 2 million. As these | | | | and female adults has been estimated at 4.4%. |
| children grow, ADHD's impact manifests itself on | | | | It is interesting to note that ADHD was only fully |
| their psychological development, relationships, | | | | recognized as a disease in 1994. Between 1940 |
| education and quality of life. Family members and | | | | and 1964, ADHD was called many different things |
| direct caregivers are also affected since ADHD | | | | including brain dysfunction, hyperkinetic syndrome |
| continues into adolescence and adulthood. | | | | and minimal brain dysfunction. Eight years later, in |
| Extensive research into ADHD has led the | | | | 1968, doctors named it hyperactive child |
| American healthcare regulatory authorities to | | | | syndrome, and in 1980s, it was termed attention |
| recognize ADHD as a disease, and this has led to | | | | deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity. |
| enhance awareness among medical specialists - | | | | There is no simple test to diagnose ADHD. |
| psychiatrists and clinicians. | | | | Diagnosis is done primarily based on a number of |
| Over the years, scientific evidence has shown | | | | characteristics these children show apart from a |
| that boys are more frequently diagnosed with | | | | number of symptoms they exhibit. |
| ADHD than girls; the ratio stands at 3:1. Since | | | | |