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The Gist According to the latest statistics released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 5 million U.S. children between the ages of 3 and 17 have been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Boys are nearly twice as likely to have the condition than are girls. Other factors that seem to tip the scales in favor of an ADHD diagnosis are: living in a single parent household, living in poverty, and/or having parents who missed out on higher education opportunities. Still, the prevailing prerequisite for ADHD remains genetic. It is a condition that is passed down from parent to child and either increased or decreased in prevalence depending on that child’s overall environment.
If a school age child shows symptoms of not being able to follow directions, has an inability to listen, is hyperactive, impulsive, or just plain unruly, chances are he or she will be evaluated for ADHD. The condition has three basic classifications: ADHD predominately inattentive, ADHD predominately hyperactive, and ADHD combined inattentive/hyperactive.
Source: Healthline (blog)