It seems that school standards can play a vital part in the early discovery and diagnosis of ADHD.  A new study, published in the April issue of Pediatrics, explains more.  Apparently, one factor in whether ADHD is diagnosed is whether the school your child goes to has strict guidelines set up for improving and monitoring academic performance.
According to the study’s author, Helen Schneider, a professor in economics, if a school has strict accountability standards teachers might be more motivated to report problems with pupils.  But she did wonder whether this was such a good thing – and that behavioural problems might be treated with drugs rather than other methods if this was the case.
So what is ADHD?  It’s a condition whereby your child can’t pay attention or focus on anything for a period of time.  According to the National Institute of Mental Health, between 3 and 5% of American children have been diagnosed with ADHD – roughly one in every classroom.