Nearly one in five high school age boys in the United States and 11 percent of school-age children over all have received a medical diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, according to new data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These rates reflect a marked rise over the last decade and could fuel growing concern among many doctors that the A.D.H.D. diagnosis and its medication are overused in American children.They are worried about overdiagnosing. I am more concerned with mis-diagnosis. I actually think these numbers are low. I think the overall streptococcal autoimmune rate is about 30%, it's just that boys have more typical hyperactivity symptoms (girls get cranky and gain weight).
They are also worried about overmedication. I am more concerned with mis-prescribing. A little less sugar and little more antibacterial mouth rinse is probably what those kids need. Treat the problem, not the symptoms.
