A new study has come to the conclusion that is probably surprising to some and thoroughly unsurprising to others: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is way overdiagnosed in children. But the question is, is ADHD a real condition or simply the result of bad parenting?

The study found that in a large percentage of cases, children who were diagnosed with ADHD were simply at a younger school age and thus weren’t quite as mature as peers they were compared against, according to a Elsevier Health Services statement.

ADHD can involve behavioral problems like restlessness, low concentration, and poor attention span. Many parents believe that ADHD is a myth and that the solution to ADHD symptoms is simply better parenting and more discipline.

But that’s not the case, medical experts say. While many believe that ADHD is a made-up codition, it is in fact a real medical disorder in which the child is not choosing to misbehave, according to WebMD. In fact, parenting techniques may actually worsen symptoms.

Fortunately, those with ADHD have some advantages, in that they have more energy and are often more creative than their peers. It doesn’t appear to have anything to do with intelligence.

About 3 to 7 out of every 100 school-age children are believed to have the condition in the United States, so it is certainly widespread.

Contrary to the belief of many people, ADHD is a disability and children who have it do have to learn how to deal with such symptoms. And it can persist, with 70 percent of children continuing to have symptoms into their teens, and about 50 percent having symptoms in adulthood.

So although the new study indicates that people are a bit overzealous in diagnosing it, that doesn’t mean it’s not real issue children a struggling against, experts say.