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40 Facts You Should Know About ADHD

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October is ADHD Awareness Month. An opportunity to have a greater understanding and awareness of ADHD. How much do you really know about ADHD? some of the fact below may surprise you.

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  • ADHD is a condition characterized by inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsivity
  • It is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood
  • It is usually diagnosed in childhood and last into adulthood
  • People diagnosed with ADHD may have difficulty paying attention and or controlling impulsive behavior

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  • People with ADHD may day-dream often
  • 70% of people with ADHD in childhood will continue to have it in adolescence
  • 50% will continue into adulthood
  • ADHD is not caused by watching too much, parenting or having too much sugar
  • ADHD may be caused by genetics, brain injury or low birth weights
  • Is a highly genetic, brain-based syndrome that has to do with the brain regulation in executive functioning skills
  • Affects people of every age, gender, IQ, religious and socio-economic background
  • In 2011, CDC reported 9.5% of children are diagnosed with ADHD
  • Boys are diagnosed 2-3 times as often as girls
  • Up to 30% of children and 25-40% of adults with ADHD have co-existing anxiety disorders.
  • Can be difficult to diagnosed
  • Children with untreated ADHD are often mislabeled as problem children
  • The average age of diagnosis is 7
  • Symptoms typically first appear between the age of 3 and 6
  • About 4% of American adults over the age of 18 deal with ADHD on a daily basis
  • 12.9 percent of men will be diagnosed
  • 4.9 percent of women will be diagnosed
  • Children living below twice the poverty level have increased risk
  • The lowest states with ADHD rates are Nevada, New Jersey, Colorado, Utah and California
  • The highest states with ADHD rates are Kentucky, Arkansas, Louisiana, Indiana, Delaware and South Carolina
  • An estimated 6.4. million American children have been diagnosed
  • ADHD is often overlooked in girls
  • The average cost of treating ADHD per person is $14,576
  • The yearly cost to Americans is 42.5 billion
  • U.K. children are less likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than U.S. children
  • Boys and girls display very different symptoms

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  • It was first mentioned in 1902. British Pediatrician Sir George Still described “an abnormal defect of moral control in children.”
  • He found that some affected children could not control their behavior the way typical children would.
  • Was originally called hyperkinetic impulse disorder
  • In 1798, Sir Alexander Crichton used to term, “mental restlessness.” to describe ADHD
  • During the 1940’s, the disorder was blamed on brain damage
  • In 1955, the FDA approved the drug Ritalin
  • In 1980, the American Psychological Association changed the name to ADD
  • In 1989, the name was changed again to ADHD
  • Sleep disorders affect people with ADHD
  • ADHD contributes to more driving citations and accidents