The Edge Foundation, a national non-profit personal coaching organization, has partnered with GlobalScholar® to make online coaching services available for ADHD students.

The following details are from a PRWeb press release announcing the ADHD coaching program:

The customized, private label coaching platform powered by GlobalScholar technology, creates an engaging, comfortable, and secure environment where student and coach can work together to help the student develop key skills for academic success.

Skills [to be developed include] scheduling, goal setting, confidence building, organizing, focusing, prioritizing and persisting at tasks.

Students with ADHD are more likely to have lower grade-point averages and be put on academic probation than are their non-ADHD peers. One-on-one coaching can give ADHD students the added help they need to reach their full potential.

Labels: academics, coaching, schools

Although many parents of autistic children try various diets to alleviate their children's symptoms, a new study from the Mayo Clinic finds that autistic children have about the same number of digestive problems as children without the disorder.

• Dr. Samar Ibrahim and his colleagues compared 121 autistic children to 242 children without the disorder and found very few statistical differences between the two groups in terms of digestive disorders.
  
  
• The children with autism in the study were more likely to be picky eaters or constipated, but they did not have more diarrhea, abdominal discomfort, bloating, acid reflex disorder or vomiting.
  
  
• Many parents of autistic children try nutritional supplements and anti-fungus medications as well as diets that restrict chemical preservatives and colorings, gluten, sugar and other ingredients.

This study appeared in the journal Pediatrics.

Labels: autism, health, research

A double-blind study funded by Shire biopharmaceutical company found that one of its products, Vyvanse, could alleviate the symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in children ages six to 12 years old.

Researchers divided a group of 129 children (ages six to 12 years old) with ADHD into two groups. One group received a placebo and the other group took Vyvanse. The children who took the drug had fewer symptoms for up to 12 hours than did the children who took the placebo.

Side effects of the drug are decreased appetite, insomnia, headaches, irritability, upper abdominal pain and affect ability.

The study appeared in the journal Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health.

Labels: drug_study, research, symptoms

Easter Seals, one of the country’s leading non-profit providers of disability services, has release a free curriculum aimed at teaching children about peers who have disabilities -- including fellow students who have disorders such as ADHD

The Easter Seals website describes the curriculum as follows:

FRIENDS WHO CARE® is designed to help children better understand what it means and how it feels to be a young person with a disability. This educational program gives students the opportunity to learn what is involved when someone has a disability and how they adapt to live life, go to school, or work as independently as possible.

The curriculum explores a range of disabilities and includes specially crafted learning activities, hands-on exercises, guided discussions and guest speakers. It starts with an introduction to disability, and looks at vision, hearing, and physical disabilities and then at learning disabilities including ADHD, autism and intellectual disabilities.

The curriculum is designed for use in the classroom or at home, and can be downloaded for free at www.easterseals.com/friendswhocare.

Labels: awareness, curriculum, schools

A new study out of Canada aimed at understanding childhood brain development may also help diagnose Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

"Our project investigates how the brain provides ... control by observing eye movements," physiology professor Douglas Munoz said in an article on the website PsychCentral. "Our experiments have been designed to combine high speed eye movement recording with modern brain imaging techniques to identify brain regions that control our behavior."

During the experiment, participants were shown a series of lights and asked to either look at them or look away. As their responses were recorded, their brain activity was also monitored.

Kids with ADHD not only had trouble following the instructions, but their brain activity was lower than normal. Researchers said they believe the study could be used both to diagnose ADHD and to test the effectiveness of new medicines.

Labels: diagnosis, research

Consumer Reports has warned parents to be wary of any free samples they get from their doctors for the treatment of ADHD. The samples are often for high-priced, brand-name drugs that could be replaced with a generic brand:

Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs says it found two generic ADHD drugs, dextroamphetamine and methylphenidate, are as safe and effective as well-known drugs like Adderall XR, Concerta or Strattera.

Its concern is that parents, after first using the more-expensive drugs they get as free samples, will stick with those drugs because they know how their kids react to them.

Parents can save considerable amounts of money by using the less-expensive medications.

Labels: medications, warnings

A cognitive learning specialist in Arlington, Virginia, says that a meditation technique made popular by the Beatles may offer significant benefits to young people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

According to a June 17 Reuters Health article, a study that was led by Sarina J. Grosswald found that transcendental medication (TM) helped ADHD kids remember more, behave better, and focus more easily:

After three months, Grosswald and her colleagues found, the students reported lower stress and anxiety levels, while their ADHD symptoms also improved, based on questionnaires given to teachers and parents.

"Teachers reported they were able to teach more," Grosswald said, "and students were able to learn more because they were less stressed and anxious."

"TM doesn't require concentration, controlling the mind or disciplined focus," Grosswald noted. "The fact that these children are able to do TM, and do it easily. shows us that this technique may be particularly well suited for children with ADHD."

Grosswald's research into the usefulness of having children with ADHD practice transcendental meditation was published in the December 2008 issue of Current Issues in Education.

Labels: meditation, research

A June 20 article on the Des Moines Register website revealed that the area experienced a spike in cases of ADHD medication abuse that resulted in hospitalization. Writer Tony Leys reported that the cases involved individuals between the ages of 13 and 24:

The misused drugs reportedly included Adderall, Ritalin and Concerta. The patients' symptoms included tremors, vomiting and racing hearts.

[Linda Kalin, director of the Iowa Statewide Poison Control Center] said two of the patients intentionally misused the drugs to stay alert while studying. The other five apparently were trying to use the drugs to get high. ...

The Iowa Department of Public Health said a 2008 survey of Iowa teenagers found that four percent reported using prescription medications without a doctor's prescription.

ADHD medications and other prescription drugs are being abused in ever-increasing numbers by adolescents, teenagers, and adults in the United States and other countries. The problem of prescription drug abuse has become so widespread it has been referred to as an "invisible epidemic."

Labels: abuse, medications

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that parents of special education students may seek public money to pay for private schools even if their children have never used special education programs in public schools.

The case before the court involved an Oregon student who was enrolled in a residential school that costs $5,200 a month. Lawyers for the public school system in Forest Grove, Oregon, argued that this student had been found ineligible for special education classes, though he was later diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

A 1997 amendment to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) reads that students need to have been enrolled in special education before they can choose private alternatives.

However, in the court's majority opinion, Justice John Paul Stevens wrote, "We conclude that IDEA authorizes reimbursement for the cost of private special education services ... regardless of whether the child previously received special education or related services through a public school."

Labels: private school, public school, special-needs

During the summer, children often forget much of what they learned in school. For kids with ADHD, this can be especially problematic.

To help prevent this summer backslide, educational psychologist Brent Cooper offered the following advice in the July 4 edition of Palm Springs newspaper The Desert Sun:

Parents ought to spend at least part of the summer reinforcing the skills learned in school from the previous year. Workbooks are simple tools to keep their minds sharp. They can be purchased at educational stores. Libraries also have lots of academic materials available.

Students may require more individualized academic instruction in a specific area. Practicing math skills, working on comprehension, and drilling vocabulary can make a big difference during the summer months.

Parents may also want to consider supportive learning opportunities such as summer camps for ADHD kids. These programs let children brush up on their skills and while also learn how to be more responsible, organized, and efficient.

Labels: summer, summer_camp

Researchers have found that ADHD medication may create a "placebo effect" in caregivers who are supervising children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder:

A review of studies suggests that teachers, parents, and others may 'see' improvements in a child's behavior if they believe the child is on medication to control ADHD symptoms, even when real medication is not being given.

Researchers say caregivers may exhibit more understanding, which could in turn actually lead to improved behavior in a child. (Source: United Press International)

In a June 30 article, ADDitude Magazine reported that the ADHD medication researchers' next plan is to observe parents' and children’s reactions under the following three conditions: after the children receive a real pill, after they receive a placebo, and after they receive no pill.

Labels: caregivers, medications, placebo

Independence Day may have already come and gone -- but that doesn't mean that children won't still have the desire (and occasionally the opportunity) to experiment with firecrackers, sparklers, and other types of legal and illegal fireworks.

For kids with ADHD, this can be an especially dangerous endeavor, as Erika Lyn Smith reported in an article on BellaOnline:

Impulsivity, which is part of being a child, is increased in children and adults living with ADHD ... and is a concern for higher risk of injury. ADD and ADHD people tend to find themselves caught up in the moment and will often do or say things out of character when impulsivity takes over which increases the risk of self-injury.

Parents have the responsibility to protect children from gross obvious dangers to a child’s health and wellbeing. That means teaching children not to play with fire, and not only when it is convenient but when necessary.

Parents of children with ADHD should exercise particular caution with fireworks. Keep an eye on sparklers. Make sure you're safely distant from larger fireworks displays, and if you're setting off smaller fireworks at home, only let adults light them.

Labels: dangers, fireworks, parenting

Though scientists and medical professionals continue to make significant strides in their understanding of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, one piece of information remains unknown: the cause of the disorder.

According to a June 25 HealthDay News article, one of the reasons that experts have had trouble pinpointing the cause of ADHD may be that the disorder is the result of literally hundreds of genetic variations:

[Dr. Josephine Elia, a psychiatrist and ADHD expert at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia] and her colleagues analyzed genomes from 335 ADHD patients and their families, and compared them to more than 2,000 children without ADHD.

The hundreds of gene variations were found to occur more often in children with ADHD than in normal children. ...

"There may be hundreds of genes involved, only some of which are changed in each person. But if those genes act on similar pathways, you may end up with a similar result -- ADHD. This may also help to explain why children with ADHD often present clinically with slightly different symptoms," [study co-leader Peter S. White] said.

"When we began this study in 2003, we expected to find a handful of genes that predispose a child to ADHD," White said in the HealthDay article.

Labels: causes, genetics, research

On July 8, the Suzanne Gresham Center in Muncie, Indiana will hold a noon program about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Ryan Rhoads will educate participants about the myths and facts of ADHD for children and adolescents. Symptoms of ADHD will be reviewed, as well as the criteria for diagnosis of this disorder.

Rhoads is program manager and responsible for FosterHope, outpatient and addictions programs at the Suzanne Gresham Center, which provides complete behavioral treatment to Indiana children and families.(Source: The Star Press)

The program will take place at the Morrison-Mock Professional Center (3620 W. White River Blvd., Muncie, Indiana). Additional information about The Suzanne Gresham Center is available at www.meridiansc.org.

Labels: information

Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder may benefit from using assistive listening devices (ALDs) in the classroom. ALDs help filter out background noise, making it easier for kids to focus.

Pamela Wilson, special needs children's editor for the BellaOnline website, elaborated on the usefulness of ALDs in a recent post:

Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs) have been shown to be helpful for students ... with learning disabilities or ADHD who may be distracted by classroom noise, and those with central processing disorders who have difficulty discerning the most important sounds in their environment, whether it is an instructor's voice or an audio-visual presentation.

One of the benefits of assistive listening devices is that the level of the sound of the teacher's voice does not change due to distance or background noise. There is often an environmental microphone on receivers so students can hear classmates' questions or comments, but it is often more helpful to repeat what has been said before responding or summarizing as the discussion progresses.

ALDs do not take the place of other accommodations for students who have hearing loss or other challenges.

ALDs involved a microphone that is worn by the teacher, and a receiver that is worn by the student. ALDs are among many advancements that are helping students with ADHD achieve greater success in the classroom.

Labels: classrooms, schools