 With widely differing rates of diagnosis across countries , states within countries , races , and ethnicities , some suspect factors other than the presence of the symptoms of ADHD are playing a role in diagnosis . Some sociologists consider ADHD to be an example of the medicalization of deviant behavior , that is , the turning of the previously non @-@ medical issue of school performance into a medical one . Most healthcare providers accept ADHD as a genuine disorder , at least in the small number of people with severe symptoms . Among healthcare providers the debate mainly centers on diagnosis and treatment in the much larger number of people with less severe symptoms . 
