Deep Thoughts: ADHD On The Rise For Latinos

By Michael Lopez

Be honest. With web videos, cell phones blaring, mp3 players, and more, it’s pretty hard to stay focused . Even when clicking on Blogamole, do you go through every word of an article or just scroll down to the good stuff? Don’t worry, you most likely don’t have ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), but there’s a good chance someone you know does. Studies just released claim that the amount of Latinos with ADHD has gone up 53% in the past five years.

Image : A Just Society

Classified as a neurobehavioral development disorder, ADHD affects roughly 10% of all children in the United States today. Symptoms typically include difficulties following instructions, forgetfulness, impatience, and the urge to constantly be in motion.

Though the rate of Latinos classified has gone up substantially, Anglos and African-Americans under the age of 18 are still much more likely to be diagnosed. According data from the survey, 10% of white and African-American children have ADHD. For Latino kids, it’s more along the lines of 6%.

That’s still quite a jump from the study conducted five years earlier. Notes from the report concluded that that the rise in Latino children with ADHD may be attributed to families having a better understanding of the disorder.

As the footnotes stated, “[The Latino increase] might indicate a shift in cultural acceptance of ADHD or changes in access to care.”

So in fact, the number of Latino children with ADHD may have already been at around 6%, it just so happened that families weren’t able to properly diagnose them. Another theory for the increase could be the assimilation of more Latino immigrants into the over-stimulated American culture.

With hundreds of television channels, video games, and flashy sites, how could you NOT have a hard time focusing on just one thing? Though there are medications for more severe ADHD cases, if you feel your attention is starting to wander, we suggest turning off those buzzing gadgets and honing in on a nice long Blogamole article.

Does anyone you know suffer from ADHD? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3!

Tags ADHD, Cultura, Deep Thoughts, Education