Discontinuing ADHD Meds
Sometimes the only way to move forward… is to stop. MUCH HAS BEEN WRITTEN about starting medication for ADHD. Carefully controlled treatment trials are crucial in determining who will benefit, what medicine works best, and at what dose. But much less attention has been paid to stopping ADHD treatment. At the beginning of treatment for…
Read MoreSelf-Driven Kids with ADHD
IN MY THIRTY YEARS OF TESTING KIDS WITH ADHD, I have seen hundreds of kids like fourteen-year-old Alex, whose homework is an enormous source of stress and frustration for him and his parents. Even with constant parental nagging, teacher reminders, the help of a tutor, and an elaborate home-school communication program, Alex commonly forgets to…
Read MoreA Parent’s Guide to Healthy Video Game and Internet Use for Children with ADHD
THE DIGITAL AGE HAS NOT ONLY ARRIVED, but by now it has settled in. As a child and adolescent psychiatrist specializing in internet and video game addiction, I see the most extreme cases of problematic internet and video game use, leading to catastrophic consequences in grades, social life, emotional well-being, and relationships with family members.…
Read MoreHow Do I Get My Kid to Talk TO Me Instead of AT Me or NOT At All?
CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR KIDS are not always easy. Sometimes it feels as if they just are not listening. Other times it seems that, with all our eff orts, we cannot get our children to share their thoughts, concerns, or even their desires. Or perhaps they are sharing, but not in a way that is appropriate,…
Read MoreDo You Know ADHD?
IT’S EASY TO THINK WE “KNOW” ADHD since its diagnosis is related to specific symptoms such as distractibility or hyperactivity. Yet we are not always savvy about how the symptoms of ADHD are expressed in behaviors (called “symptomatic behaviors”). Learning more about this can dramatically improve your life. As an example, the symptom might be…
Read MoreADHD and Criminal Justice, Part One: The Punishment Mindset and School Discipline
INDIVIDUALS WITH ADHD or similar disorders have brains that function differently, in some respects, from the brains of neurotypical individuals. To many readers of this magazine, that is well known and understood. These are our children, our students, our siblings, our parents, and even ourselves. But there are many people who interact with individuals with…
Read More2017 Young Scientist Research Awards
DURING THE ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ADHD in Atlanta, Georgia, CHADD presented the 2017 Young Scientist Research Awards to Matthew J. Gormley, PhD, and Jaclyn Kamradt, MA. These emerging researchers were selected from a pool of outstanding applicants for their academic achievements, research studies record, professor recommendations, and planned future contributions to the field. Their…
Read MoreAsk the Expert: 5 Solutions to Common ADHD Social StrugglesAsk The Expert
Telemental Health: Benefits and Potential Pitfalls
“ZACH” WAS BEING TREATED BY A PSYCHOLOGIST for his ADHD and anxiety on a regular basis. One day in between his weekly sessions, he was distressed to learn he didn’t get a part in the school play, and he asked to talk with his psychologist. Although an adult was home with him, no one was…
Read MoreADHD, Brain Balancing Music, and Mindfulness
New Breakthroughs and Resources OF ALL THE OPTIONS TO HELP PEOPLE WITH ADHD live better lives and be more functional members of society, one of the most overlooked is the use of music. As you will see, there is a good reason for this; “regular” music doesn’t work. Most traditional music is intended for entertainment…
Read MoreEngagement: Making Educational Content “Stick” Through Technology
ENGAGEMENT. IN MY YEARS as a speech and language pathologist working with students with a wide variety of learning issues, I have learned that engagement is half the battle in facilitating success. Students with attention difficulties must struggle with immersion in educational environments not necessarily designed for their needs, in which the material they are intended…
Read MoreGiftedness & ADHD: A Strengths-Based Perspective and Approach
ADHD AND GIFTEDNESS are sometimes described as having the same or similar characteristics. However, one diagnosis is considered a disability and one, a gift. Neither assumption is ideal in supporting the child identified with either ADHD, giftedness, or both, often referred to as twice exceptional or 2e. (Twice exceptional or 2e refers to a diagnosis…
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