I updated this post on ADHD to include the a clip from the Time article published today that responds to my concerns, which clearly are everyone's concerns; will more and more kids be diagnosed and be treated with medication, and younger and younger? The author says no, don't worry, the new guidelines are here to ensure the opposite.
She also says:
For one thing, the new guidelines advise doctors to ascertain that the core symptoms that generally lead kids to be diagnosed with ADHD – inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, most notably – have been present, in more than one situation, for nine months, rather than the six months currently specified by the psychiatric Bible, the DSM-IV. For another, they strongly recommend that medication be used only as a last resort for very young children (and then only in cases where the child’s symptoms are causing “moderate-to-severe continuing disturbance” in his or her life). They instead recommend behavior modification as a first-line treatment.Read the full article.
