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This summer, Washington, D.C., parents were notified that they鈥檇 no longer be able to if the student turned 5 years old before Sept. 30. Previously, the decision on so-called redshirting had been left up to families, with advice from pediatricians and child psychologists.

In New York City, America鈥檚 largest school district, the birthday cut-off is even later: Dec. 31. One-third of children are . This is a cause of concern for many families.

The city Department of Education doesn鈥檛 see it as a problem. In an email, a spokesperson told me its official stance is, 鈥淲e work to provide all families access to a world-class education, and we work closely with families to ensure students鈥� placements are academically and developmentally appropriate, in alignment with state guidelines. Our policies allow for flexibility, our kindergarten curriculum is responsive to the needs of our younger learners, and our dedicated educators are prepared to support every student.鈥�

Not all are appeased.

鈥淚 have a 4-year-old who will start kindergarten this fall but doesn鈥檛 turn 5 until after Thanksgiving,鈥� worried mom CK told me. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a big disservice to these kids. The amount of sitting isn鈥檛 developmentally appropriate, and the lack of free play is concerning.鈥�

Parents are justified in their concerns. As the summarized in June:

Several studies have concluded that kids who are youngest in their class are disproportionately diagnosed with ADHD. A Michigan study found that kindergartners who are the youngest in their grade are 60% more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than the oldest in their grade. And it doesn鈥檛 affect just kindergarteners: A North Carolina study found that in fifth and eighth grade, the youngest children were almost twice as likely as the oldest to be prescribed medication for ADHD.

The research didn鈥檛 sit well with some teachers. One blasted my social media inquiry seeking views on redshirting by writing, 鈥淎DHD is a very serious IEP (Individualized Education Plan) and we don鈥檛 hand them out like candy.鈥�

Others, however, agreed.

鈥淢y daughter was one of the youngest in her class,鈥� wrote an anonymous mother. 鈥淭he teacher and school counselor mislabeled her with psychological disorders that both NY special education testing and private neurological tests did not support.鈥�

鈥淢ore of my students with an IEP have a birthday in the second half of the calendar year,鈥� confirmed Mary C., who has been a special ed teacher for 12 years. 鈥淚 understand where an incoming K parent would be concerned that their December baby is much younger than a June baby.鈥�

That was the case with Upper West Side parent KE鈥檚 son. 鈥淗e is the youngest and smallest boy in the grade,” she wrote. “He started kindergarten at 4 years old, still sucking his thumb. The physical, emotional, social, psychological and other developmental differences between a 5-year-old born in January and a 4-year-old born in December impacts everything from holding a pencil to kicking a ball, to the length of time one can sit and concentrate. It was too early, too soon and too young, but we literally had no choice in the matter in order to enroll him.鈥�

The problems that pop up with younger students can reverberate .

Pree Kaur lamented that her daughter 鈥渋s always the younger one and is not as mentally developed as her peers, so she always feels as if something is wrong with her.鈥�

The Riverdale dad of a son born in November wrote, 鈥淗e had some difficulty following his teacher’s instructions in first grade, and his teacher repeatedly pointed out that he has difficulty sitting still, staying focused, etc. We had him evaluated by a pediatric developmental specialist and he was diagnosed with ADHD. I really struggle with the whole situation, as I believe if we were able to get him to go to school a year later, matters may have been different.鈥�

鈥淢y daughter attended a citywide gifted program. She was doing great, but it came with a price,鈥� confessed Annie Tate. 鈥淪he was high-functioning until high school, where she was overwhelmed and was diagnosed with ADHD, a diagnosis I believe she wouldn鈥檛 have received if I didn鈥檛 send her to school at 4 years, 8 months. She would have matured emotionally and physically to be a healthier, happier child.鈥�

Pediatric occupational therapist KJL sees this situation frequently: 鈥淐hildren with ADHD have a 30% delay in executive function compared to their peers. Combine that with young ages, and these children are set up to fail.鈥�

When I posed the question of allowing parents to hold back their children on my , the most frequent response I received was, 鈥淪OMEONE has to be the youngest.鈥�

That鈥檚 true. But the situation can still be ameliorated.

Grades with multiple classes can be broken up into three- or four-month bands, so students are learning with a narrower-aged peer group.

Repeating a year should be a more acceptable option, unlike the situation faced by mom Heather Hooks: 鈥淢y son was very behind academically in first grade. The school refused to hold him back and cited studies on ‘retention’ being not good for kids in the long run. I found these didn鈥檛 take into consideration that this was not straight retention, but redshirting an ADHD kid. Other studies were significantly different, and suggested these kids have better outcomes and are less likely to be medicated.鈥�

Another mom was told her daughter 鈥渨asn鈥檛 behind enough,鈥� despite the child鈥檚 pleas that 鈥渋t鈥檚 too much for my head.鈥�

Any steps taken to help New York City’s youngest learners would provide the largest experimental sample size in the country, making those results potentially beneficial for students across America.

Based on what happens in NYC, the educational system can stop treating children as developmentally identical and schools as one-size-fits-all, giving families more options.

As Maureen Yusuf-Morales, who has worked at public, charter and independent schools, suggests, 鈥淧arents with children born after September should be allowed choice with guidance based on developmental milestones, as opposed to birthdays being the only hard-and-fast rule.鈥�

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