I agree it is very real. I disagree with the percentages though. I think likely 90% of the ADD ADHD diagnoses are misdiagnosed and about 75% of those are a very real very similar disorder of which Ritalin can not help.
ADD ADHD and Ritalin were around before I was born in 1957. I was thought to have ADD ADHD as I had many of the symptoms especially lack of concentration and short attention span. I still have that issue.
The {Specialist} are missing and overlooking the key piece to the so called ADD ADHD epidemic. Do medical history work ups focusing on the childs Sinuses and Ears. Chronic sinus allergies and chronic ear infections can damaged the childs Inner Ear. A Damaged Inner Ear or the Cerebellar/Vestibular portion of the sensory processing system can and in most cases will give many ADD ADHD symptoms. However Ritalin can not help them and only makes it worse.
What I am talking about also effects such things as reading ability, eye-muscle coordination, walking, ability to understand/process given verbal commands, intolerance's in some cases to certain auditory or visual situations. It is also a leading cause of adult anxiety disorders. It can in rare cases in adult life lead to disability due to severe sensory processing issues. It will often be misdiagnosed as General Anxiety Disorder unless the doctors do a good work up. Been there, have that, and know what I'm talking about. I do not however have ADD ADHD LOL.
I'm not a doctor. But as a disabled Vestibular Patient I have looked real deep at this issue. 25 years ago very few doctors understood this. Today many Audiologist have heard of and can test for C.A.P.D. which stands for Central Auditory Processing Disorders. These are very real and can be hard to deal with. However the treatment generally is treating what is doing the damages to start with such as ear infections are allergies. The cost to schools? Simple classroom modifications such as placement in the front of the room and the teacher looking at the kid when talking. These kids even though they can hear read lips faster and can process that faster than their hearing.
An example is telling a boy Billy go take out the trash, feed the dog, and clean up your room. Billy may be watching TV or talking to someoene when you say it. Billy you think ignores you. No Billy may have heard you but it did not process in the brain. You repeat your orders and Billy says Huh? Then you begin to say it for a third time and in the middle of it Billy acts like he all of the sudden gets it. Billy says OK. Goes and takes out the trash and maybe feeds the dog. Likely one of the three commands he did not process. Billy isn't being a brat or deliberately ignoring you. Tell Bill to do these things one at a time instead. Vestibular patients have serious issues retaining in their short term memory verbal order or multitasking as it is called.
Ritalin helps kids in the same way that caffeine helps adults. As a matter of fact, when a kid forgets to take his Ritalin in the local schools, they give him Diet Mountain Dew.
Wow. I had a ct scan on my head this year and have structural problems with sinuses and ears which has caused chronic problems. I had no idea it could cause ADD like symptoms. That would explain so much! A steroid nasal spray has helped me more than anything thus far, it even seems to help my ears.