ADHD is actually more common than you might realise.

It was first described about 100 years ago but is no more prevalent now, just better recognised. 
  • ADHD affects 2 to 5 percent of all children.
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  • Although up to 3x as many boys are diagnosed with ADHD as girls, it is now suspected the incidence is more like 1:1.
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  • Most ADHD children have the social and emotional maturity of a child two thirds their age.
 
  • Approximately half of the children who present with ADHD are also troubled by specific learning disabilities, eg dyslexia.
 
  • Oppositional Defiant Disorder is a co-morbid condition found in 40 to 60 percent of children with ADHD.
  • Research suggests 50 to 80 percent of children with ADHD will continue to meet diagnostic criteria in adolescence and 50 to 70 percent will have symptoms causing impairment as adults.​

  • The incidence of ADHD is approximately the same across all countries and races.​

  • The stimulants Ritalin and Dexamphetamine have been used for over 40 years.  Between 80 to 90 pecent of children with significant ADHD will be helped in the short term by one of the stimulants.​

Fact Sheet: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) topic, www.russellbarkley.org
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