The best antidote for an underdiagnosis or overdiagnosis is a proper evaluation

• ADHD is over-diagnosed.“It really depends on the community; ADHD can be over-diagnosed in some communities and under-diagnosed in others,” said Arthur L. Robin, Ph.D., licensed psychologist and chief of psychology at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan. For instance, ADHD may be under-diagnosed in an inner city where no one talks about it, but over-diagnosed in an affluent suburban area, where parents are more aware of ADHD and may think their child has the condition if he or she isn’t doing well in school.

Inattention, distractibility and impulsivity are character flaws. ADHD is a neurobiological disorder, and these “character flaws” are symptoms

• Children outgrow ADHD.“What people typically outgrow is the hyperactive part of ADHD. What remains is the inattentive and impulsive parts of the disorder which can cause impairments in academic, personal and occupational arenas,” said Adelaide Robb, M.D., associate professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC.

You can will yourself out of ADHD.“The fact is, and research backs this, that the harder one tries, the worse the symptoms seem to get,” Matlen said