When parents suspect that their child may have ADHD, the next step is usually a clinical interview. The interview is conducted by a doctor experienced at recognizing signs of ADHD, but parents often want more verifiable information.

According to an article on the website of Pennsylvania's WPVI-TV, that additional information may be at hand:

A new computerized test called Quotient can objectively measure the core symptoms of ADHD. To do the test, [a child has] to pay attention, and control his impulses, while an infrared camera [records] subtle body movements.

When the test is complete, a computer printout reports the results. The test has been available for about a year and is gradually becoming more widespread.

Labels: diagnosis, computers, testing

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The pressures and responsibilities of parenting a child with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder can be stressful. This is especially true for single parents, who dont have the spousal support that partners are able to give to each other.

In a July 29 article on about.com, ADHD expert Keath Low offered the following advice for single parents of children with ADHD:

• Spend some time thinking about the specific stressors in your life. Try to identify the source of each stressor.


• Identify avenues of support including family members, friends, local support groups, online support forums and regular babysitters.


• Try to set aside regular down time in the day for just you. Many single parents often find themselves neglecting this essential component of self care. It is so important that you have time alone to do things you enjoy.


• Get routines in place and stick to them in order to provide both you and your children with more predictability from day to day. Children with ADHD do best in settings with clear, consistent expectations.


• ADHD does tend to run in families. If you have any concerns, you may have ADHD and it is impairing your parenting and other areas in your life, talk to your doctor right away.

Labels: single parenting ADHD kids

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For most students in the United States, school has either already begun or will be underway soon. Though no group is immune to the back-to-school jitters, students with ADHD can feel especially anxious and uncertain during the first days of class.

According to an Aug. 21 article in the Donthan (Ala.) Eagle, students with ADHD should get a lot of help from their school:

Carol Cunningham, director of exceptional student services for Dothan City Schools, said parent conferences are scheduled when potential ADHD behaviors emerge. Once confirmed, action plans are created, including special education resources, curriculum modifications, or consultations with outside experts.

A district committee addresses problems impacting student academics and behavior, creating strategies and interventions to follow for a minimum eight weeks with periodic reviews and changes, Cunningham said.

"We provide the services and the support they need to be successful in their educational careers," she said.

Labels: students, schools

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Adults with autism may be unable to see and read body language, according to a new study from Great Britain.

Dr. Anthony Atkinson of the Durham University showed adults with autism spectrum disorder videos of body movements. The videos had no faces or sounds on them. The viewers could not identify emotions such as anger or joy through body language alone, although adults without autism were able to do so.

"We use other's body movements and postures as well as people's faces and voices to gauge their feelings," Dr. Atkinson said. "People with autism are less able to use these cues to make accurate judgments about how others are feeling."

The study and Dr. Atkinson's comments appeared in the journal Neuropsychologia.

Labels: autism, body language, communication

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Every fall, the start of a new school year means changes to the family routine. For families with kids who have ADHD, this transition can be decidedly difficult.

In an Aug. 7 article on Health Digest News, developmental pediatrician, author and mother of three children with ADHD, Patricia Quinn, M.D., offered advice to help make back-to-school time less stressful and more productive for ADHD students and their families:

• Set up a morning checklist so that your child knows what needs to be accomplished before she heads off to school.
• If your child is newly diagnosed with ADHD, talk to her teacher, school counselor and principal to make sure they're well informed.
• Above all, be sure your child has a clear understand of your expectations around classroom behavior and homework.
• The fewer surprises, the better the adjustment will be.

Labels: schools, parenting

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With funding from the Louis and Peaches Owen Family Foundation, a fall symposium on ADHD will be held at the University of Texas' Tyler campus this fall. Titled "The Gift of ADD/ADHD," the conference will take place Sept. 12, 9 a.m. to noon.

The symposium will be moderated by Jana M. Sisk, licensed social worker and executive director of Parent Services Center. Speakers and topics include the following:

• Dr. Ray Scardina, Trinity Clinic -- Medical Aspects of ADHD
• Suzanne Brians, UT Tyler, licensed professional counselor -- The Home Environment
• Kim Paetzel, Tyler IDS -- The School Environment

The cost of the symposium is $10 for those who register before Sept. 3, and $15 for those who register later. More information is available by calling Parent Services Center at 903-595-2235.

Labels: education, texas

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Barr Laboratories, Inc. has initiated a recall of ADHD medication that it says may exceed weight requirements and could cause an over-dose if taken. The pills come from lot number 311756, the only lot affected by the recall.

An Aug. 14 Kentucky Post provided the following details about the recall:

Barr Laboratories, Inc. is initiating a voluntary recall of Dextroamphetamine Saccharate, Amphetamine Aspartate, Dextroamphetamine Sulfate and Amphetamine Sulfate (Mixed Salts of a Single Entity Amphetamine Product) 20mg Tablets, 100 count bottles, lot number 311756.

The product identified is being recalled because the affected lot may contain some tablets exceeding weight requirements which may lead to super-potent tablets.

This product can be uniquely identified as an oval peach colored tablet, debossed with b/973 on one side and 2/0 on the other side. Barr distributed the affected lot between 06/11/09 and06/16/09. ... Customers who have this lot in their possession are instructed to cease using the product and return it to their pharmacy/distributor.

An overdose of this medication can lead to cardiovascular, neurologic, psychiatric and gastrointestinal reactions, the Post reported, though Barr Laboratories has not yet received notification of any adverse affects for this product lot.

For more information about this recall, call 888-742-5578 (Mondays to Fridays, 8 a.m to 8 p.m. EDT).

Labels: medications, recall

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As learning disabilities like ADHD and dyslexia have become easier to recognize and diagnose, a disparity in funding has also become more easily recognizable. There are currently two groups of "special needs" children that are treated very differently  those with learning disabilities, and those with more severe developmental issues like Down Syndrome.

A child with ADHD, for example, is left in a classroom with 30 plus other students and one teacher, who has neither the time nor energy to focus on one student.

As a consequence, the student begins falling farther and farther behind. Or he may be warehoused in a classroom with students with the same disability, which is counterproductive, to say the least. (Source: Coquitlam NOW -- British Columbia, Canada)

While no solution is currently forthcoming, this disparity can be minimized by parents who advocate for their children's education. In the United States, children who are diagnosed with ADHD are guaranteed access to special education and related services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Labels: education, special-needs

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A child with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) has a high risk of psychiatric problems that may resemble those caused by ADHD. In fact, according to a July 17 HealthDay News article, a Canadian study has noted that FASD and ADHD present with such similarity that children are sometimes misdiagnosed:

"Behaviorally, FASD and ADHD can look quite similar, particularly with respect to problems with very limited attention, physical restlessness and extreme impulsivity," study author Rachel Greenbaum, a clinical psychologist with the Children's Mental Health Team at Surrey Place Centre in Toronto, Canada, said in a news release.

The study of 33 children with FASD, 30 children with ADHD and 34 children without disorders focused on their social cognition and emotion-processing abilities. Social cognition is the ability to consider and differentiate between the beliefs, thoughts, feelings and intentions of oneself and others. Emotion processing is the ability to understand and process information related to feelings.

Labels: diagnosis, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

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ADHD medication can help people focus, but doesn't necessarily make them smarter. Claire Advokat and Sean Lane, professors in the Department of Psychology at Louisiana State University, want to find out why.

"Given their well-established benefit for increasing attention and concentration, it seems counterintuitive that ADHD medications are not more effective in improving academic and occupational attainment," Advokat said in a release that was posted on the LSU website "It is time to address this question and clarify the cognitive effects, as opposed to the activating, arousing and energizing actions of these drugs."

A grant from the Spencer Foundation will fund Professors Advokat and Lane as they determine whether ADHD drugs have real academic benefits.

Labels: medications, research, focus, academics

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A concerned parent wrote to the the Philadelphia Enquirer's "Ask Dan" column for advice about her son, who has been anxious and easily distracted since he was five years old. Things got worse when he entered middle school, so his parents took him to a pediatric neurologist who offered a diagnosis of ADD after 45 minutes.

Psychologist Dan Gottlieb, who writes the "Ask Dan" column, responded with information that included a rebuke of rapid ADD diagnoses:

Nobody can diagnose ADD or any other learning disability in 45 minutes. And before ADD is diagnosed, other things must be ruled out, such as anxiety, depression, and family conflict.

In addition, not every mental health professional is trained in the diagnosis and treatment of ADD, so before you make an appointment, find out the caregiver's background. Once you find a competent professional, this evaluation should include family history, interviews with parents and school officials, and time spent with the child. Labeling any child after 45 minutes is ridiculous.

Dan also encouraged the parent to have her son evaluated by a psychologist who specializes in learning disabilities. Only a thorough assessment by a trained, experience professional will ensure that a child gets the type of help he needs.

Labels: diagnosis

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While hallucinations can be a side effect of ADHD medication, a review of clinical trials has found the occurrence is rare.

HealthDay News reported the following about research conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration:

The FDA experts reviewed the results of 49 randomized, placebo-controlled trials and asked drug manufacturers to analyze their post-marketing surveillance databases. They found that 11 psychosis or mania episodes occurred for every 743 person-years of treatment.

According to HealthDay News, Dr. Roy Boorady, director of the psychopharmacology service at New York Universitys Child Study Center, said sleep problems and loss of appetite are much more common side effects of ADHD medications.

Dr. William Cohen of the Child Development Unit, Childrens Hospital of Pittsburgh, reminded parents that side effects are common with any medication, and occurrences should be discussed with a child's doctors.

Labels: medications, side_effects

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A research team at Weil Cornell Medical College has discovered some potential long-term effects of Ritalin use on brain development. The study was conducted on very young rats that were given injections of Ritalin from the time they were seven to 35 days old.

"The changes we saw in the brains of treated rats occurred in areas strongly linked to higher executive functioning, addiction and appetite, social relationships and stress," the study's senior author, neuroscience professor Dr. Teresa Milner, wrote. "These alterations gradually disappeared over time once the rats no longer received the drug."

According to July 18 article on the www.news-medical.net, Dr. Miner also reported that that the study emphasizes the degree of caution that doctors must use in diagnosing ADHD before prescribing Ritalin. For example, the brain changes noted in the study would be helpful for someone with ADHD, but could harm an individual with healthy brain chemistry.

Labels: research, ritalin, brain_chemistry

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