ADHD and Screening Biases for Girls
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is diagnosed in children ages 4-17 on a daily basis. In 2011 approximately 11% of children were identified as having ADHD according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s data and statistics. In the United States of America, “Boys (13.2%) were more likely than girls (5.6%) to have ever been diagnosed with ADHD (CDC). Why are girls less likely to be diagnosed than boys? Do girls not suffer from ADHD at the same rate as boys? Studies indicate that girls suffer at similar rates to boys, however, they are frequently underdiagnosed due to biases in the screening process and biases evident in those charged with using screening tools. It is imperative that …show more content…
Girls do not often present with symptoms by age seven because they are better at hiding and coping with the deficits. We must prepare a scale that is flexible and understanding of how girls with the inattentive type of ADHD present with symptoms and when those symptoms may be noticeable. For instance, girls with this form of ADHD “are quieter and far less disruptive than children with [the combined version], they are less likely to create headaches for teachers or parents, and therefore more likely to be overlooked” (GreatSchools Staff). Therefore, girls may be considered shy or daydreamers and her needs may go unmet. Though she may be struggling with school work and peer relationships, she may have family support that helps her mask or cope with those deficits. We need identification tools to better recognize deficits like disorganization, comorbidities of anxiety and depression, and other silent indications. Furthermore, the identification tools need to allow flexibility in the onset of symptoms. Often children under the age of seven will not show the tell-tale signs of inattentive ADHD because parents may still be active participants in helping children stay organized or planning play-dates with peers. Inattentive deficits may not become evident until she is expected …show more content…
Teachers in every state are required to participate in continued professional development training. The number of hours, the subject matter, and the mode of delivery of the training differs from state to state. For example, in Texas 150 hours of training over a five year period are required (TEA). However, “it is the responsibility of the educator and the school district to determine which workshops or training sessions meet the requirements for standard certificate renewal. TEA staff will not make these determinations” (TEA). Because the diagnosis of ADHD is “based on nothing more than reported symptoms” (Thomas and Johnson 45) it is essential to give training to teachers and school administrators that helps them to understand how to identify the needs of the shy, daydreaming, scatterbrained girl. How can we insure that teachers are receiving this kind of training when states do not have implicit requirements? The answer is to simply make it mandatory. When “the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimated that 1.6 million elementary school children in the US had ADHD in 2002,” (Thomas and Johnson 44) it should be evident that teachers ought to be better equipped to recognize the symptoms, especially, because those numbers are based on actual diagnosis, and do not consider undiagnosed children. Furthermore, as stated by the TEA, they
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is diagnosed in children ages 4-17 on a daily basis. In 2011 approximately 11% of children were identified as having ADHD according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s data and statistics. In the United States of America, “Boys (13.2%) were more likely than girls (5.6%) to have ever been diagnosed with ADHD (CDC). Why are girls less likely to be diagnosed than boys? Do girls not suffer from ADHD at the same rate as boys? Studies indicate that girls suffer at similar rates to boys, however, they are frequently underdiagnosed due to biases in the screening process and biases evident in those charged with using screening tools. It is imperative that …show more content…
Girls do not often present with symptoms by age seven because they are better at hiding and coping with the deficits. We must prepare a scale that is flexible and understanding of how girls with the inattentive type of ADHD present with symptoms and when those symptoms may be noticeable. For instance, girls with this form of ADHD “are quieter and far less disruptive than children with [the combined version], they are less likely to create headaches for teachers or parents, and therefore more likely to be overlooked” (GreatSchools Staff). Therefore, girls may be considered shy or daydreamers and her needs may go unmet. Though she may be struggling with school work and peer relationships, she may have family support that helps her mask or cope with those deficits. We need identification tools to better recognize deficits like disorganization, comorbidities of anxiety and depression, and other silent indications. Furthermore, the identification tools need to allow flexibility in the onset of symptoms. Often children under the age of seven will not show the tell-tale signs of inattentive ADHD because parents may still be active participants in helping children stay organized or planning play-dates with peers. Inattentive deficits may not become evident until she is expected …show more content…
Teachers in every state are required to participate in continued professional development training. The number of hours, the subject matter, and the mode of delivery of the training differs from state to state. For example, in Texas 150 hours of training over a five year period are required (TEA). However, “it is the responsibility of the educator and the school district to determine which workshops or training sessions meet the requirements for standard certificate renewal. TEA staff will not make these determinations” (TEA). Because the diagnosis of ADHD is “based on nothing more than reported symptoms” (Thomas and Johnson 45) it is essential to give training to teachers and school administrators that helps them to understand how to identify the needs of the shy, daydreaming, scatterbrained girl. How can we insure that teachers are receiving this kind of training when states do not have implicit requirements? The answer is to simply make it mandatory. When “the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimated that 1.6 million elementary school children in the US had ADHD in 2002,” (Thomas and Johnson 44) it should be evident that teachers ought to be better equipped to recognize the symptoms, especially, because those numbers are based on actual diagnosis, and do not consider undiagnosed children. Furthermore, as stated by the TEA, they