Children with attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) could eventually outgrow it, according to a 2007 study by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The study offers hope for the parents of the 4.4 million children with ADHD.

Identification

According to the Mayo Clinic, children who suffer from ADHD struggle with impulsive behavior, hyperactivity and short attention spans. Problems with self-esteem, scholarship and social relationships also are common.

Significance

The brains of children with ADHD develop more slowly than their peers, according to the NIMH. This differential is about three years.

Expert Insight

According to William Coleman, professor of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at the University of North Carolina, the thickening of the cerebral cortex, the part of the brain that controls planning and attention, occurs around the age of 10-1/2 in children with ADHD. Normal children experience this thickening around the age of 7-1/2.

Considerations

According to Philip Shaw, the lead author of the NIMH study, two-thirds of the children with ADHD will still have lingering symptoms of the disorder into adulthood.

Warning

According to Judith Rapoport, chief of the child psychiatry branch at the National Institute of Mental Health, there is no clear evidence whether medication should be continued as the child becomes a teenager and young adult.

Source:

Mayo Clinic: ADHD

Washington Post: Will Kids Outgrow ADHD?

Time: Children Can Outgrow ADHD