Youngest Children In A Class Are Most Likely To Get ADHD Diagnosis

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/11/28/671614909/youngest-children-in-a-class-are-most-likely-to-get-adhd-diagnosis

November 28, 20185:07 PM ET

The youngest children in a school class are most likely to be diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, when in fact their comparatively fidgety behavior may be due to their relative immaturity, according to a study published online Wednesday.

Scientists from Harvard University probed the way ADHD is assessed by taking advantage of a quirk found in many U.S. school systems: There's a Sept. 1 cutoff for enrolling in kindergarten. That means children born in August get in just under the wire, while children with September birthdays have had to wait until the following school year to enroll.

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