Special Education Report Roundup

ADHD Prevalence and Treatment

By Mary C. Breaden — September 10, 2007 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

A large percentage of children ages 8 to 15 who meet the criteria for having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are not receiving the medication they need to treat the disorder, researchers report.

The study—published in the September issue of the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine—examined 4,000 children in that age range in the United States. It found that 9 percent met the criteria for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, but only 39 percent of those children were receiving medication to treat it.

Researchers, led by Tanya E. Froehlich, a developmental-behavioral pediatrician at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, also found that low-income children with ADHD were much less likely than their wealthier peers to be receiving medication to treat the disorder.

An estimated 16 percent of the poorest children in the study who met the criteria for ADHD were reported to be receiving the proper medication, compared with 39 percent for all children in the study.

“Prevalence, Recognition, and Treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in a National Sample of U.S. Children” can be found at the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the September 12, 2007 edition of Education Week

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in Schools
Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
Content provided by Panorama Education
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Science Webinar
Spark Minds, Reignite Students & Teachers: STEM’s Role in Supporting Presence and Engagement
Is your district struggling with chronic absenteeism? Discover how STEM can reignite students' and teachers' passion for learning.
Content provided by Project Lead The Way
Recruitment & Retention Webinar EdRecruiter 2025 Survey Results: The Outlook for Recruitment and Retention
See exclusive findings from EdWeek’s nationwide survey of K-12 job seekers and district HR professionals on recruitment, retention, and job satisfaction. 

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Special Education 3 Things Every Teacher Should Know About Learning Differences
A researcher, a teacher, and a student all weigh in: What do you wish all teachers knew about students with learning differences?
3 min read
Photograph showing a red bead standing out from blue beads on an abacus.
iStock/Getty
Special Education How Special Education Might Change Under Trump: 5 Takeaways
Less funding and more administrative chaos could be on the horizon—but basic building blocks like IDEA appear likely to remain.
7 min read
Photo of teacher working with hearing-impaired student.
E+
Special Education How Trump's Policies Could Affect Special Education
The new administration's stance on special education isn't yet clear—but efforts to revamp federal policy could have ripple effects.
13 min read
A teenage girl from the back looks through the bars, the fenced barrier, at the White House in Washington, D.C.
iStock/Getty Images
Special Education The Essential Skill Students With Learning Differences Need
Schools must teach students with learning differences how to communicate about their needs.
4 min read
Vector illustration of three birds being released from a cage.
iStock/Getty