Genetic mutations can't happen across a population that fast. Most if not all of it is changes in diagnosis.

Personally, I think there are very few children who actually have ADHD/ADD. Todays kids have short attention spans--why? Look at the TV shows they watch. Something new and exciting pops up every minute or so. They come to expect that in every day life.

I think it is over diagnosed, but there are a lot of children with this disease. My son is ADHD, ODD, Bi-polar, tourettes and learning disabilities. His dad is ADD aand Bi-polar. My brother was just like my son, it has always been around, just diagnosed as "Problem child" or "boys will be boys". Our education system is already set up to deal with this. We have IEP's, Individual Education Program. We also have Special School districts for the more challanging children.

My son has ADHD. He takes meds for it and thank god he does. With out them he would not be able to function in school at all. I did forget to give him his meds one morning, and the school called me because he had to be pulled out of class. He was all over the place and disrupting the whole class. A lot of kids are mis dionosed for sure. But it is a real problem and has nothing to do with the parents not knowing how to control their kids.

There are two main factors that have caused this, one is that doctors now have a name for a condition that has always been around, and the other is that people are now being assaulted by toxic substances from every thing they eat, touch and breathe. It's makes sense that all this pollution will and does have a negative effect on our lives, and the children are suffering the most. There was a cluster of a rare cancer at a housing development near where I live, and it was discovered, after a five year search, that contaminated tiles were used in the bathrooms and kitchens of the houses.

i think it's always been around but it's just now being diagnosed(much like bipolar disorder)....but unfortunately over diagnosed; how many adults do you know that are probably add/adhd and have just learned to "function"; most people are able to adapt even though the process is much different than those without the disorder; i know that some individuals really need medication but i think that number is very small.....most could benefit more from learning special coping skills that could last them a lifetime without any side effects :) good question +++

I think the root of the problem should be addressed first - overstimulation on TV and video games - Parents who want to give their kids a pill rather than teaching strategies for their children to deal with these conditions Etc, that's only the tip of the iceberg. I'm not saying there aren't plenty of children legitimately ADHD/ADD however it's too commonly diagnosed. Education methods aren't the answer, teachers are too overburdened and under empowered to raise our children. They have to do too much yet can't do what they need to in some cases because of liability issues.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) IS a very well documented Neurological Brain Disorder (not Disease - sorry) affecting the Prefrontal Cortex region of the Brain. It has been accepted by the Home Office and the National Institution Of Clinical Excellence (NICE) as a Disability not only in children but also adults which also confirms that it is Genetic not just "Bad Parenting". To answer your question as to the prior generation being less apt to handle the stimulation. In ages past the family unit was a lot closer than it is today and parents seemed to have a lot more Boundaries, Structure and Routines in place, hence I feel the reason why children didn't present with the many behavioural problems seen today such as Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and Conduct Disorder (CD) which are Emotional - secondary to the Disorder. Re: EDUCATION I feel it is HIGH TIME that the Educational system put resources in place to help those with Hidden Impairments not just ADHD. ALL CHILDREN learn differently so by sticking to the joint matriculation boards ways of teaching they are I feel discriminating against these kids!

Following is a little bit of education for all those of you who think ADHD just comes from bad or lazy parenting: ADHD is a neurobiological disorder (not a disease) that is defined at a behavioural level. That means that the symptoms are based upon observations about how people behave: ‘impulsivity’ signifies premature and thoughtless actions; ‘hyperactivity’ a restless and shifting excess of movement; and ‘inattention’ is a disorganised style preventing sustained effort. These symptoms are shown by individuals to different extents, and are influenced by context as well as by the constitution of the individual. ADHD, furthermore, is a common disorder. In the UK, surveys of children between the ages of 5 and 15 years found that 3.62% of boys and 0.85% of girls had ADHD. But the gender ratio for children attending ADHD clinics, however, is usually higher than in the research surveys, which raises the possibility that females with ADHD receive less recognition. Similarly, in adult life, the male-female ratio for ADHD appears to be approximately equal, which again suggests the possibility that the high gender ratios in childhood may be partly a result of under-identifying the problem in girls, or of a different presentation of symptoms in girls. Also, a recent review of longitudinal follow-up studies of individuals diagnosed with ADHD as children found that by age 25 only 15% retained the full ADHD diagnosis. However, a much larger proportion (65%) fulfilled criteria for either ADHD or ADHD in partial remission, indicating the persistence of some symptoms associated with clinical impairments in the majority of cases. It is likely, therefore, that about 0.6–1.2% of adults retain the full diagnosis by age 25 years and a larger percentage (2–4%) have ADHD in partial remission. This is consistent with population surveys in adult populations that estimate prevalence of ADHD in adults to be between 3 and 4%. Studies indicate that multiple genes contribute to a susceptibility to ADHD. Pharmacologic, neuroimaging, and animal-model findings suggested imbalances in monoaminergic (dopaminergic, serotonergic, and noradrenergic) neurotransmission in ADHD. Several studies examined monoaminergic candidate genes for possible genetic association with ADHD in the Irish population, focusing particularly on genes of the dopaminergic and serotonergic systems. Several of the genes were associated with ADHD, including DAT1, DBH, DRD4, DRD5, and 5HT1B. Also twin studies suggest that around 75% of the variation in ADHD symptoms in the population are because of variable genetic factors. I could put a lot more information up, but don't have the room for it.

btw there is a petition on the site for 10 Downing Street asking for dedicated NHS funding for assessing, diagnosing, and treating ADHD. There are more than 500 signatures on this petition, which means it is guaranteed to be read, but obviously more signatures means that it will be taken even more seriously by the Government. So if this petition is relevant for you, please sign it, and then pass on the link to others for whom it would be of interest: http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/adhdadults/

From what I've been reading, there are many factors that can/may contribute to this condition. Vaccines, Genetically altered foods, hormonally enhanced milk and a host of other chemicals we and our children are exposed to, including drugs (used for fun) and as medications by the parents. "They" are pretty much looking at everything, as well they should. I do think this can be addressed by more than another dose of medication. Conditioning from a behavioral perspective should not be discarded. We always gave my Partner's son a "break" from his medications during the summer. Granted, he was diagnosed as being only BORDERLINE for ADHD and ADD. Still it gave him an opportunity to exercise his will towards what we taught him as being acceptable and not acceptable behaviors. It gave him the chance to accept some personal responsibility for his choices in behavior, it empowered him as he had success. Even small successes were rewarded as poor choices came with repercussions he learned. This is how life works, for all of us in reality. When he entered High School, he decided to take himself off of his medications, AND DIDN'T TELL US. When his first report card came in, with almost all A's and a few B's (he made the honor roll) he confessed that he decided he didn't want to take the medication anymore, but, felt very strongly that he had to PROVE to us that he was capable of doing well, having no problems, and creating success, BEFORE we might agree. He was probably right about that. What could we do. He not only had great grades, but excellent reports as to conduct from every last one of his teachers. He has never taken his meds again, graduated on the Honor Roll and received a special reward for both his grades and for helping others to improve. I think these conditions have been around for a long longer than we may realize, but in many cases I think that while it is possible to treat them medically to a point, Behavioral Conditioning, and active parental guidance can be a huge help; along with the educators also being aware and willing to guide when they have the child during the day...it has to be a team effort between the child (as they learn and grow in awareness of right and wrong,) the parents and the teachers. The one complaint by our son's teachers was the number of parents, both of Special Ed and Regular, who did not show ANY INTEREST or willingness to be involved in their child's educational life. At least one of us always attended every single parent/teacher night and we both went to every single IEP meeting. It was fun to hear all of the good reports, but fun or not...it was our responsibility to go...he was our child, we needed to know where and how we needed to support his educational success at home.

well lets put it this way, first ADHD/ADD is commonly misdiagnosed. i have known parents who say that the doctor told them that their four year old child is ADHD/ADD because they are hyperactive. let me ask you this question, what four year old child is not hyperactive. see, ADHD/ADD is partially caused by stimulation from the here and now enviroment. things like TV and computers and games and stuff like that have the tendacy to shortten the attention span of a child and thus cause the commonly known ADHD/ADD sydrome. ADHD/ADD is not a disease in any way shap or form. ADHD/ADD is commonly a gene that is passed from the parent to the kid. ADHD/ADD is a chemical imbalance in the brain that causes a child to lose attention quickly and gain large quantities of energy (That is of course ADHD/ADD that is inherited). when ADHD/ADD is caused from the enviroment it is still not catagorized as a disease but instead a syndrome. meaning it is not contagious in any way, shape, or form. it is just a state that the child gets distracted easily because the enviroment gears our children to switch attention every few moments. as far as education methods go there are already several methods used to help a child cope with this syndrome. but i do believe that they can still gear schools to teach different methods without calling it a Special Ed class. our goal is to make kids feel smart not dumb.