A Disease Called Childhood: Why ADHD Became an American Epidemic

A surprising new look at the rise of ADHD in America, arguing for a better paradigm for diagnosing and treating our children

In 1987, only 3 percent of American children were diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, also known as ADHD. By 2000, that number jumped to 7 percent, and in 2014 the number rose to an alarming 11 percent. To combat the disorder, two thirds of these children, some as young as three years old, are prescribed powerful stimulant drugs like Ritalin and A...