The Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry recently published four studies that reviewed the long-term benefits of ADHD treatments. In the initial studies, children were given one of three treatments; medication, medication and behavioral therapy, or behavioral therapy only.

"Ratings from both family members and teachers favored the combination treatment, and careful medication management was more successful than medication provided through usual community care sources."

Another study showed that children differed in their response to ADHD medication, with some showing improvement even into the third year of follow-up and others showing little response to medication at all. Read more at HealthDay.com.

Labels: benefits, medications, treatment

When parents hear the term "ADHD", they typically think of a child running wild through the house or on the playground. For boys with ADHD, that's a fairly accurate description. However, girls are more likely have the inattentive type of ADHD, causing them to daydream or to have trouble concentrating. Because of this difference, their ADHD may go undiagnosed for years.

"The interesting thing is that these girls with inattentive ADHD will do well on standardized tests in some cases. So, parents and teachers recognize their ability, but since they're still underachieving in the classroom, they are called lazy, and it can affect self-esteem."

Symptoms in girls with inattentive ADHD include forgetfulness, disorganization, easy distractibility, and difficulty focusing on material in school. Read more at UnderstandingADHD.com.

Labels: concentration, girls, inattention

An estimated 300,000 Hispanic children have been diagnosed with ADHD. In an effort to offer some help to the families of these children, the National Alliance for Hispanic Health has released an ADHD booklet written in both Spanish and English.

"'Educational Rights for Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Primer for Parents,' was developed by the alliance and the National Resource Center on AD/HD."

People wishing to obtain copies of the brochure can call the Alliance or download a copy from their website. Read more at ChicagoTribune.com.

Outdoor therapy can often help kids with ADHD. Learn more about outdoor education programs and how they differ from Boot Camps at BootCampsInfo.com.

Labels: bilingual, hispanic, spanish

A research team at a University in Adelaide, Australia recently studied the brain activity of children with ADHD to try and determine why they have such difficulty remembering. While playing a card game called "Snap" patients with ADHD, who were off their medication, had to recognize when two of the same cards appeared in a row.

"...but we found that children diagnosed with ADHD had incredible difficulty detecting doubles at all, news.com.au quoted lead researcher, PhD student Hannah Keage, as saying. 'They just weren't able to select that information about the cards properly and hold it online in their head,' she added."

Other tests showed that children were unable to recognize distractions as distractions. Read more at News.sawf.org.

Some of the best boarding schools for kids with ADHD can be found at the BoardingSchoolsInfo.com directory. Check out the list of Special Needs Boarding Schools to find the best school for your child.

Labels: brain_activity, distractions, medications

A team of scientists from New York's Weill Cornell Medical College recently conducted a study to determine if Ritalin has any long-term effects on the brain. They used rats, which were divided into two groups, one was injected with Ritalin doses for a month, and the other received no treatment.

"The scientists noticed some subtle, short-term structural changes in the rats' brains immediately after Ritalin treatment ended. But those differences weren’t major, and they faded within three months."

The results of the study were published in The Journal of Neuroscience, and though they were positive, researches don't yet know if the findings apply to people. Read more at MedicineNet.com.

Did your child attend a special camp this summer? Give them the same specialized academic program this school year - Talisman Camps' also offers semester-long academic programs for children with ADHD, Aspergers, Autism, and other non-verbal learning disorders.

Labels: brain_chemistry, long_term_effects, medications

Cape May County Department of Human Services is holding a free seminar on July 18th for parents and caregivers of children with ADHD and ADD.

"All parents of children with ADHD, ADD and similar learning disabilities are encouraged to attend this free workshop, which will take place at the Cape May Court House Campus of the Atlantic-Cape Community College, according to Freeholder Gerald Thornton, liaison for human services."

The workshop will run from 6 to 8:30pm and is sponsored by the Atlantic Cape Family Support Organization and Cape Assist, among others.

Read more at CapeMayCountyHerald.com.

Labels: parenting, seminars

Memory problems are common for kids with ADHD. But a new medication called methylphenidate (MPH) may offer help.

"...six boys with ADHD and 6 healthy boys were studied using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Each patient was tested twice, once with MPH and once without... In the most difficult task, performance of medicated patients was better than that of non-medicated patients."

Brain activity also increased under the medication. Read more at PsychCentral.com.

Drugs used to treat ADHD typically work by increasing levels of dopamine in the brain. Video games can have the same effect on boys with ADHD. Learn how Boys with ADHD Can Find A Cure By Going Back to Tom Sawyer Era at www.stonemountainschool.com.

Labels: medications, memory, treatment

A recent study by the University of Washington found that exposure to second-hand smoke increases a pregnant woman's risk for having a child with ADHD or conduct disorder. A total of 171 children participated in the study and were divided into three groups: children whose mothers smoked, children whose mothers were exposed to second-hand smoke, and children whose mothers were in a smoke-free environment during the final two trimesters of pregnancy.

"The UW researchers found that those children whose mothers had been exposed to tobacco smoke either by smoking or by being around smokers when they were pregnant had more symptoms of ADHD and conduct disorder..."

It's believed that nicotine is the compound which affects brain development during the last two trimesters and is the cause of ADHD and conduct disorder. Read more at News-Medical.net.

Does your child seem to have little or no regard for the feelings of others? Is your teen aggressive toward you or peers, even destructive or physically cruel? Has your adolescent ever threatened to assault you?

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, this could indicate a serious behavioral problem: conduct disorder. Learn more about conduct disorder from the factsheet that explains what conduct disorder is and how you can help your child.

Labels: development, prenatal, smoking

Generation Rescue, an organization that was formed by parents of children who have been diagnosed with neurological disorders, recently conducted a phone survey that may force the Centers for Disease Control to study the effects of vaccines on children.

"The survey... compared vaccinated and unvaccinated children in nine counties in Oregon and California. Among more than 9,000 boys age 4-17, the survey found vaccinated boys were two and a half times (155%) more likely to have neurological disorders compared to their unvaccinated peers."

The study also found that vaccinated boys between 11 and 17 were 317% more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than unvaccinated boys. Read more at Pharma-Lexicon.com.

While many people believe that vaccinations are the cause, scientists say people are born with Pervasive Developmental Disorders: Autism or Asperger's Syndrome. Unfortunately, scientists do not fully understand the genetics of PPDs and have found no cure for them, they have discovered new ways of helping, educating and rehabilitating people with PPDs. Learn more about Autism Spectrum Disorders from www.yourlittleprofessor.com.

Labels: brain_chemistry, neurological_disorders, vaccines

Samar Rahha is an MD at Riley Hospital in Indiana who's recently discovered an unusual trend among children being treated for ADHD; they're shorter. Nearly 25% of young patients who were seen by a pediatrician because of slow growth were also on some type of ADHD medication.

"Children on ADHD medications may grow slowly, but most of them eventually experience catch up growth and reach normal adult heights. Strikingly, this study finds that short children medicated for ADHD were just as likely as those who are not on these medications to have other hormonal disorders contributing to their short stature."

What does this mean? Dr. Rahhal believes her findings call for further study, but she also wants to reassure parents that if their children are taking ADHD medication and aren't growing quickly, that the slow growth may not be a side effect of the medication. Read more at EMaxHealth.com.

Children with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Non-verbal Learning Disability (NLD), and Asperger’s Syndrome are challenged to understand social cues and body language and to then respond appropriately. Cedars Academy teachs students to internalize knowledge and responses to social situations in positive, appropriate, and adaptive ways. Learn more about Cedars program for teens with ADD, ADHD, NLD, and Aspergers.

Labels: growth, medications, research

Noven Pharmaceuticals, in partnership with Shire plc, is developing a new transdermal patch for the treatment of ADHD. The two companies previously worked together to develop Daytrana™, which was the first ADHD treatment patch ever approved.

"As previously announced, Noven successfully completed a Phase 1 study of an amphetamine transdermal system (ATS) under development for the treatment of ADHD. Shire has requested modifications to the original patch formulation in order to align ATS with its future direction in ADHD."

Daytrana™ was first released in June 2006. It was the first, and is currently the only, transdermal product approved for ADHD therapy.

The new school year is just around the corner - now's the time to look into finding an ADHD school or Asperger's Schools or a school for children with a non-verbal learning disorder. Cedars Academy is a private school specializing in children with ADD, ADHD, NLD, or Asperger's.

Labels: medications, therapy, treatment

Shire Plc is expecting to receive approval from the FDA for a new extended-release drug used to treat ADHD. The drug is called Intuniv, and Shire hasn't yet announced an expected release date.

"Britain's third-biggest drugmaker said it had received an 'approvable letter' from the U.S. medicines regulator for Intuniv, formerly known as Conexyn, signaling it will approve a new drug pending further information."

Shire didn't say what additional information the FDA has requested. Intuniv is a non-stimulant treatment for ADHD that is believed to have little or no risk for potential abuse or dependence.

Read more at BabyCenter.com.

Labels: medications, stimulants, treatment

Parents of children with ADHD know they need support and guidance, but don't always know where it can be found. CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder) has developed a class called Parent to Parent, to help equip parents and other family members.

"Parent to Parent provides educational information and support for individuals and families dealing with AD/HD... The entire course includes 14 hours of time and is usually offered as a seven week class, meeting for two hours once a week."

The curriculum covers parenting strategies, ADHD assessment, educational strategies and more. Courses are offered in local communities across the country. Read more at CHADD.org.

Still looking for a summer camp for your ADD/ADHD child? Visit the ADD Summer Camps page at SummerCampsInfo.com for a full list of camps.

Labels: families, parenting, support groups