Welcome to the Attention Deficit Disorder Expert Podcast Series by Attitude magazine.

Hi, this is Wayne Callan for Attitude magazine. Today's topic, the ADHD

explosion has been covered endlessly in the media. The facts are eye opening.

In the 1980s and 90s one in 20 kids were

diagnosed with ADHD today one in nine kids roughly 6.4 million kids between

the ages of four and 18 have been diagnosed.

We all wonder why there is such a rapid increase in these diagnoses and

prescriptions for stimulants.

Today we will get the answers. We are very

fortunate to have Stephen Hinshaw, professor of psychology at the University of

California, Berkeley, and author of the ADHD explosion,

Myths, Medication, Money, and Today's Push for Performance.

His work focuses on developmental psychopathology, peer and family relationships, neuropsychological

risk factors, assessment and evaluation, and the stigmatization of mental illness.

Welcome, Dr Henshaw.

Hello, good morning.

Well, I guess it's afternoon out east, so good day.

So ADHD is always an interesting topic

to talk about because like many other mental disorders every year

or two the media reports that we've now found the cause and of course there is not the cause of any

mental disorder including ADHD but in 2011 there was the

intriguing report out of the University of Virginia that Sponge Bob was actually

...