Does growing up in impoverished circumstances increase a child’s chance of developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or does it intensify existing symptoms? Marian F. Earls, director of pediatric programs at Community Care of North Carolina who also serves on the guidelines committee for people with ADHD at the American Academy of Pediatrics, says that it’s a “bit of a chicken-and-egg situation” in that there may be some overlap. Ultimately, she believes that “poverty exacerbates rather than causes” ADHD.