Many parents remember the olden days of scientists coming forward with a new learning difficulty or difference, named ADHD. Most parents didn’t understand this struggle for many children, which sometimes led to battles over whether this learning difference was “real” or not. Fast forward to today, though, and most parents know how difficult ADHD can be. Many adults struggle with ADHD as well!
The Struggles of ADHD
ADHD stands for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, and is commonly not diagnosed until adulthood. People often struggle with the symptoms as children, though, and can oftentimes be labeled “problem” kids since ADHD revolves around attention spans and typically behavior. ADHD is basically an overactive mind, where someone may experience restlessness, impulsive decisions, low attention spans and hyperactivity. It is often difficult focusing for many people with ADHD, so school work and paying attention in class are oftentimes the most seen characteristics during school time.
Steadily Rising
The prevalence of ADHD has definitely shown in recent years. ADHD has subtle mentions in textbooks and other materials as far back as the late 1700s. But when talking explicitly about children and their struggles in learning, it was more majorly talked about in the late 1980s. It became much more mainstream and discussed further in the 90s, when it was more widely recognized and given protection through the ADA. Since then, it has been steadily increasing as time goes by, still with many people not being fully diagnosed until adulthood. But many children are now being recognized as struggling with ADHD behaviors and getting the help they need to better focus and accel in school.
Tech Making It Worse?
Many people wonder if the rise of technology and instant information may be making ADHD worse. With the ease of technology comes the price of our attention spans, since many people can (and will) spend most of their time with three or four different things going on at once. They can have music on in the background while a podcast is in their earbud, while playing video games or watching TV. One of these things can easily be switched out with another, or even more distractions can be added. People can quickly scroll through videos as soon as they get bored, rather than having to wait or having no access to them at all. In this golden age of technology, ADHD may continue this upward trend.
Katie Kyzivat