Tree houses.. Those still exist?

My family!

Growing up, I was an active kid. For what ever reason, my parents always kicked me outside to play. After reading Louv's The Last Child in the Woods I immensely became grateful for what my parents 'forced' me to do. A few days after our class discussion on ADHD in relation to playing outside I got a call from my sister. My sister, who is 2 years my senior, called to tell me her professors had recommended her to see an educational psychologist. Immediately her words caught my attention and I dropped everything to listen to her. She had spent a day in testing for educational disabilities and at the age of twenty-three she was first diagnosed with ADHD. At first I was skeptical- she had done just fine all through school and had even managed to score a spot in one of the most rigorous nursing programs in the country. After seventeen years of formal schooling how was it that she was just now diagnosed?

Chelsea, my sister, getting ready for clinical days. 

After talking to her for a while about life, school and her study habits I could not help but think- are the increased rigorous academic programs contributing to an elevated diagnosis of ADHD. Her program a traditionally twenty-seven month program condensed into an eighteen consecutive month program. Her life consists of studying, attending clinical days and little sleep and as result of this she has little time to properly take care of herself- fastfood, little exercising and even less time spent outside.

The rate of 13-18 year olds being diagnosed with ADHD has
sky rocketed in the past few years. 

So are these intense study programs causing an increased diagnosis of ADHD and other educational disorders in the older students populations? It only makes me wonder. Are we driving students to mental breaking points in education. Is our increased focus on trying to be better then all else driving us to develop horrible habits? Louv mentioned in his book a theory that some children are just better able to adapt in today's world. Is that really what happens?

While I do not fully agree that being outside all the time will solve the ADHD problems, I do believe the lack of being outside is contributing to the increased rate of ADHD. With more time in school, lectures, studying and the increased pressure of being involved in EVERYTHING are we driving kids to a breaking point by making them focus on academics all the time?