Le diagnosi di ADHD sono più frequenti tra i gli scolari più giovani della classe: lo prova uno studio della University of British Columbia (UBC)
Scolari nati alla fine dell'anno sono diagnosticati di ADHD con maggior frequenza dei compagni nati a inizio anno. E' il risultato di una indagine condotta dai ricercatori della University of British Colombia.
Di Andrea Gordon, corrispondente per i problemi famigliari. Lunedì 05/03/2012
Fonte: http://www.thestar.com
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Originale:
ADHD diagnosis more common among youngest kids in classrooms: UBC study
Children born at the end of the year are far more likely to receive diagnoses of ADHD, researchers from the University of British Columbia have found.
Andrea Gordon Family Issues Reporter. Published On Mon Mar 05 2012
Source: http://www.thestar.com
The youngest kids in class are diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) much more often than children born at the beginning of the year, and it may be simply because they are less mature, a new study concludes.
Researchers at the University of British Columbia suggest too many youngsters are incorrectly labelled and treated with medication for the neurobiological disorder when they may just need time to catch up to peers born 11 months earlier.
The study, which followed 938,000 British Columbia students ages 6 to 12 over an 11-year period, was published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
“What’s clear is the relative age of children within their grade is having an influence on who receives the diagnosis,” said Richard Morrow, lead author and health research analyst at UBC’s department of anesthesiology, pharmacology and therapeutics.
The researchers found that children with December birthdays were 39 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than the oldest children in their grade, born the previous January. The youngest kids were also 48 per cent more likely to be treated with medication.
• MORE: Students with ADHD have legal right to supports in school
Dec. 31 is the cut-off date for entry into school in British Columbia as well as in Ontario and other provinces.
“In some cases a lack of maturity among children is being misinterpreted as symptoms of a neuro-behavioural disorder,” Morrow said in an interview from Vancouver. “It’s really a case of medicalizing a normal range of childhood behaviours. Some children mature at a slower rate.”
In 2010, two major U.S. studies came to similar conclusions and cautioned teachers and parents against comparing children in the same grade when they can be up to almost a year apart in age.
The “relative age effect” — which puts younger kids within an age cohort at a disadvantage — isn’t new. It is known to impact children’s performance in academics and sports, and was most notably explored by Malcolm Gladwell in his bestselling book The OutliersEND.
The UBC study suggests this same phenomenon is at play in when it comes to behaviour. ADHD is the most common childhood psychiatric disorder, affecting between 5 and 12 per cent of school-age children. But symptoms, which include impulsivity, inattention and hyperactivity, are also typical of kids still developing self-control and the ability to focus.
Morrow says one of the potential harms of misdiagnosis is unnecessary medication. Like all drugs, Ritalin, Adderall and others used to treat ADHD have some risk of side effects.
The study doesn’t surprise Georgina Rayner of Toronto, who has spent years advocating for students with special needs, including many with ADHD.
She frequently sees cases where a child is disruptive, and schools then recommend testing or suggest parents approach the family physician to investigate ADHD.
“I really believe it can be a classroom management problem. The behaviour is driving the diagnosis,” Rayner says. “And it does a disservice to the children who really need the diagnosis.”
She says the study is a red flag for parents, who should ensure anyone diagnosing their child is a trained professional with experience in assessing the disorder in kids.
An ADHD diagnosis must also include evidence of impairment in multiple settings and not just the classroom, says Dr. Declan Quinn, child and adolescent psychiatrist at the University of Saskatchewan.
Quinn said the UBC study is important but needs further investigation, including similar research in other provinces.
Boys are typically treated for ADHD three times more often than girls but the UBC researchers found both were affected by their birth dates.
December-born boys were 30 per cent more likely to be diagnosed than boys born 11 months earlier. The youngest girls were identified as having ADHD 70 per cent more often than those born in January.
• MORE: ADHD guidebook stresses strengths
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