ADHD contributes to higher ed learning problems

By MICHAEL KRANSZ
Capital News Service
LANSING — Nearly 12.8 percent of all Michigan residents ages 4 to 17 are diagnosed with ADHD, according to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) statistics. ADHD, or Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, is marked by inattention, lack of focus and sometimes hyperactivity, and that can present problems for young learners as they move into higher education, said Adelle Cadieux, a pediatric psychologist at the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids. That population of ADHD youths has increased by 39 percent since 2003, according to the latest CDC figures. As with other disorders such as autism, growing awareness and identification of ADHD has contributed to the increase of diagnoses, Cadieux said. But, Cadieux said, there are always some practitioners and psychologists who over-diagnose.