I think one thing to distinguish is wiggly-ness and not paying attention from truly having trouble or being unable to pay attention. I DO think way too many kids are being labelled as ADHD when really they just like to move around. And, although it's a very general statement, there are more boys who like to be constantly in motion. I also do think that this high number of diagnoses are a result of the educational system and societal changes in general. It's hard for a teacher with a room full of 25 1st graders to deal with a kid that likes to spin in circles during group time on the rug. It's hard for a teacher when a kid wants to constantly shoot his hand up in the air and shout out answers. It's hard for a teacher to teach math when a kid wants to climb under his desk. But does that means it's abnormal behavior? In many cases I'd say no. In some cases I'd say yes. Kids these days just aren't able to burn off their energy outside of class time as much as kids "back in the day" were. There's daily homework, reduced time in p.e., and very short lunch and recess periods. Why do we wonder that kids can't sit still for almost 7 hours a day? They are simply being kids. I've seen teachers that understand that, I've seen teachers that understand that boys generally like to move more than girls, and I've seen teachers that expect every student to act more like girls tend to in school.
That being said, there are defintely kids that have ADHD, and they defintely need our help and support. In fact, we just recently started our DS11 on meds for ADHD-innattentive type. (I know it's kind of a different thing since he wasn't in anyway hyperactive or causing disruptions.) I think a big thing is knowing your child -- do YOU think there is a problem or are you being too influenced by society saying that your child should sit calmly most of the time.
Lulu, I think your question about whether there is a different diagnostic standard for boys and girls is a good one. I would guess that a diagnosing practitioner (not a teacher) would take that into account, but I don't think it's part of the diagnostic guidelines.
