Troubled Teens Resources

Parents who are concerned that their teen or child may have Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder will be doing a great deal of research and will run into much conflicting information. The online site ADDitude publishes a great deal of useful information that can help parents evaluate their own son or daughter’s potential ADD. They offer a list of “myths” associated with the disorder. The complete list can be found at the link below.

• Children who are given special accommodations because of their ADHD are getting an unfair advantage

  The federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that public schools address the special needs of all children with disabilities, including children with ADHD. Special accommodations, such as extra time on tests, simply level the playing field so that kids with ADHD can learn as successfully as their non-ADHD classmates.

• Children with ADHD eventually outgrow their condition
  
  More than 70 percent of the individuals who have ADHD in childhood continue to have it in adolescence. Up to 50 percent will continue to have it in adulthood.

  Although it’s been estimated that 6 percent of the adult population has ADHD, the majority of those adults remain undiagnosed, and only one in four of them seek treatment. Yet, without help, adults with ADHD are highly vulnerable to depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. They often experience career difficulties, legal and financial problems, and troubled personal relationships.

• ADHD affects only boys

  Girls are just as likely to have ADHD as are boys, and gender makes no difference in the symptoms caused by the disorder. But because this myth persists, boys are more likely to be diagnosed than girls.

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