That is NOT entirely true. Part of the reason there is some validity to what you are saying, is because SOME people (especially children) are misdiagnosed in the way you describe. With a lot of misdiagnosis, there is difficulty in getting neurological measurements. But that SOMETHING is going on, is very much true (both neurologically and behaviorally). And what you are saying is extremely ableist. My diagnosis came after weeks of comprehensive psych testing. It wasn’t just a list of behaviors with a checklist. Adult ADHD is much much much more stringent in its criteria for testing. And adult ADHD does start in childhood. And while there is a lot of over diagnosis, there is also a lot of under diagnosis. For example, a lot of women diagnosed as BPD are in fact ADHD. The fact that the situation is a mess does not mean we do not exist. And the fact that neuroplasticity is real, does not give you the right to invalidate our existence.
And I especially asked that if you don’t believe in ADHD that you not comment here. I set a clear boundary in the OP that you violated. I am exhausted after decades of being denied my existence and my right to help and my right to be understood and accepted for who I am. I do not need to spend time defending my existence. This is off topic and really triggering. Please take your harmful discourse elsewhere.
[Moderators, I ask that you do not delete the comment that prompted this response, because I do not want my educating to be in vain. But if this line of conversation persists, please moderate].