Why is having an ADHD child so expensive?

The financial cost to raise a child with ADHD is more than 5 times greater than a neurotypical kid – not including the cost of medications or medical treatment.

Here are some of the extra costs (no one told me about) for an ADHD child:

•  Private tutoring or summer classes

• Specialized assistive software (e.g., voice to text)

• Replacement for lost or destroyed school supplies, phones, clothes, personal belongings, and electronics

•  Abandoned sports, music lessons, and camps due to a sudden loss of interest or behavioral challenges (most payments are done in advance – no refunds!)

•  Lost work time – parents missing work, reducing work hours, or attending appointments for school issues or behavior problems

•  Specialized childcare – higher rates for skilled sitters and camps that can manage ADHD behaviors

•  Higher rates of car accidents and traffic infractions for teen drivers, which often results in higher insurance premiums

•  Accidental injuries from impulsive risk-taking – cost of crutches, foot braces, etc.       

• Mental health treatment or counselling

•  Occupational therapy – excellent for individualized emotional regulation strategies

ADHD is a developmental disability in emotional and physical self-regulation that can only partly be treated with medication. This means that there are extra costs to ensure that a child with ADHD has adequate supervision, needed support services, educational help, medical treatment, counselling to improve functioning, and recreational activities. Research shows that this can amount to approximately $12000 more each year (plus medication), compared to the costs of a child without ADHD. The financial strain on parents of ADHD children is often ignored and plays a large role in parenting stress levels.

References: 

Dodds, M. et al. (2024). Economic Burden and Service Utilization of Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Value Health, 27(2), 247-264.

Zhao, X., et al. (2019). Family Burden of Raising a child with ADHD. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 47, 1327-1338.