These kinds of articles are often used to delegitimize ADHD as a genuine condition: it actually can be. People can take Adderall for genuine conditions and see improvement.
When it comes to the actual diagnosis of ADHD...that's where it gets interesting. Is everyone on an attention spectrum, and ADHD individuals are simply at one extreme? Or is there something completely different about these individuals that can be a single defining marker?
The general understanding is that ADHD is characterized by a spectrum of attention deficit to an extreme.
The process of diagnosis usually involves a self-questionnaire. In my case I somehow managed to fail the questionnaire and the psychologist performed an IQ test.
The IQ test is analyzed to see if you have a processing speed subscore that is significantly lower than your other subscores (all subscores should be roughly equal).
When it comes to the actual diagnosis of ADHD...that's where it gets interesting. Is everyone on an attention spectrum, and ADHD individuals are simply at one extreme? Or is there something completely different about these individuals that can be a single defining marker?