Help and Information for Parents of Kids with ADHD

Delayed Brain Maturation Associated with Autism in Boys

2010-03-08T05:21:00.000-08:00

A new research study from the University of Edinburgh found that the part of the brain that responds to touch is formed late in laboratory animals with Fragile X syndrome.

The implication of this study is that people with autism may be hypersensitive to physical contact because certain parts of their brain are late to mature.

"The study has implications for the treatment of autism since the changes in the brains of Fragile X and autistic people are thought to significantly overlap," said Professor Peter Kind, lead author of the study. "Autism is common in people with Fragile X syndrome."

Only males have Fragile X syndrome.

The Benefits of Sports & Other Activities

2010-03-05T04:22:00.000-08:00

Helping a child manage ADHD symptoms is no easy task. Parents typically consider a wide range of treatment options, including medication and educational plans tailored to their child.

In a March 1 article on examiner.com, teacher April Brownlee discussed the benefits of encouraging ADHD kids to become involved in sports and other types of extracurricular activities:

The power of extracurricular activities should not be ignored as the right activity will help a child's motor skills, assist with improved focusing and help with social interactions.

An activity, such as martial arts or swimming will provide a child with ADHD, focus, drive and a means to learn when and how to communicate.

A glowing example is Olympic gold medalist, Michael Phelps who [was] diagnosed with ADHD but channels the negative effects through determination to succeed at his sport.

BBC Trust Says ADHD Show was Inaccurate

2010-03-04T05:04:00.000-08:00

The BBC Trust has ruled that an episode of its show Panorama that focused on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder "failed to meet the expected standards of accuracy and impartiality," and that the BBC must make a public apology and correction.

A complainant who had already dealt with BBC management's editorial complaints unit procedure appealed to the ESC [editorial standards committee], arguing that Panorama's report was "seriously inaccurate and unbalanced in the way it dealt with the issue of how ADHD should be treated" and was "likely to cause serious harm to children’ with the condition." [Source: The Guardian (UK)]

The BBC Trust has ordered Panorama to pull the episode in question, titled “What Next for Craig?” from the BBC website and refrain from selling the episode to other broadcasters.

Timers Can Help ADHD Kids Focus on Tasks

2010-03-02T15:24:00.000-08:00

Staying "on task" is one of the hardest things for a child with ADHD to do. There's a simple, inexpensive tool that might help: a timer.

"Anytime you begin working on a project or task, set the timer. As a rule, you should set the timer every time you direct your attention to a screen (computer, BlackBerry, PDA). ...

When the timer goes off, ask yourself ‘Am I doing what I am supposed to be doing?’ If not, [you can] get back on track." [Source: Cedar Rapids Examiner]

The sound of a timer can help refocus child who gets distracted, and can be especially helpful for children with competitive natures.

Diabetes Linked to Impulse Control Problems

2010-02-25T03:34:00.000-08:00

Patients with type II diabetes are more likely to show poor impulse control, according to a new study from Tokyo Women's Medical University in Japan.

Dr. Yasuhiko Iwamoto and her colleagues found that middle-aged, newly diagnosed patients with Type II diabetes were more likely to have deficits in impulse control, which could explain why so many patients have trouble following their diets and maintaining exercise regimes.
Dr. Iwamoto performed psychological tests on 27 Type II diabetic patients and 27 people without that condition.
The research revealed that diabetics were more likely to have impulsive responses to stimuli instead of using executive function abilities in their brains.

The study appears in the journal BioPsychoSocial Medicine.

Research Links ADHD, Nutrition

2010-02-23T12:33:00.001-08:00

As more studies are conducted on ADHD treatments, evidence supporting good nutrition continues to mount. Research has linked ADHD symptoms to low levels of fatty acids and to food allergies.

"It is prudent to consider nutrition as one of the first aspects of treatment, be it as an alternative treatment or used in [conjunction] with pharmaceutical drugs. To summarize, one should modify the diet in such a way that it contains a judicious mix of proteins, vegetables and complex carbohydrates. Processed foods and simple sugars should be eliminated from the diet." [Source: Natural Holistic Health]

A healthy diet may not be the only treatment an ADHD child needs, but it can certainly help reduce symptoms and balance his energy level throughout the day.

Australian Research Reignites ADHD Treatment Debate

2010-02-22T15:54:00.000-08:00

A study out of Australia is again raising the question of how best to treat kids with ADHD. The study, from Western Australia’s Health Department, found that children who were treated with ADHD medications fared no better in school than those who weren't.

"Parents should be … using the information for making a decision as to what the treatment of their ADHD should be," ABC Australia reported. "Treatment should be a partnership between the parents, teachers and doctors and it does include health check, education support and in some cases, stimulant medication."

Professor Ian Hicke from the Brain and Mind Research Institute told ABC Australia that it's possible that the kids who used ADHD medication were doing worse academically and the medication simply enabled them to perform at normal levels.

Study Says Many College Students Not Getting ADHD Support

2010-02-19T05:12:00.000-08:00

Adjusting to college can be a challenge for any student -- but for college students with ADHD, the experience can be significantly more difficult.

Unfortunately, according to a Feb. 14 article by Heather Drost of The Daily Orange (the student newspaper of the University of Syracuse), a recent study indicates that many college students who have ADHD are not receiving the support that they need:

Mark Thomas, a physician at the University of Alabama's student health center, found most campuses are not effectively treating ADHD because they are not prescribing prescriptions for ADHD medications such as Adderall XR, Vyvanse and Ritalin.

"Medications are by far the most effective treatment for students with ADHD," Thomas said.

Thomas conducted research to see how ADHD is diagnosed and treated on college campuses throughout the country. Thomas's study consisted of 124 colleges and universities ranging in size and location. The online survey was sent to hundreds of directors of college health services. ...

Syracuse University's ADHD management runs parallel with the guidelines for treatment that Thomas suggests in his study, said Kathleen VanVechten, associate director of SU Health Services.

Researchers Explore Connection Between Parents' Age, Children's Autism

2010-02-18T03:48:00.000-08:00

A University of California, Davis study has found that babies whose mothers are over 40 years old have twice the rate of autism. However, the research team reported that this does not mean that older parents are solely responsible for recent increases in autism cases.

In their report, the researchers noted that while the number of mothers over 40 in California has increased by 300 percent since the 1990s, autism has risen by over 600 percent. Older mothers are less than 5 percent of the population.

The UC study found that babies whose fathers are over 40 have a 59 percent increased risk for autism if their mothers are under 30, but no increased risk if their mothers are over 30 years.

Researchers Identify Differences in Brains of Children with ADHD

2010-02-17T04:28:00.000-08:00

A study recently published in the journal Biological Psychiatry has found that the reward system in the brains of children with ADHD may not be as well developed as it is in children who do not have the disorder.

A Feb. 11 HealthDay News article provided the following details about the study:

Spanish researchers used MRI to scan the brains of 42 children with ADHD and 42 other children with no signs of ADHD and found that the ventral striatum was smaller, particularly on the right side, in those with ADHD.

The ventral striatum includes the nucleus accumbens, which maintains levels of motivation when a person starts a task and continues to maintain motivation until the task is completed.

The reduced size of the ventral striatum in children with ADHD was associated with symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsiveness, the researchers said.

Organizing Family's Day-to-Day Life Can Yield Many Benefits

2010-02-15T04:42:00.000-08:00

Parents of children with ADHD are faced with unique child-rearing challenges -- and issues such as lost homework, unexpected outbursts, and behavioral issues at school can cause these parents to feel as though they're always playing catch-up.

In a Feb. 10 article on examiner.com, Devona Fryer advises parents of ADHD children to use their need for organization as a jumping-off point for revamping the family's behavior patterns for the benefit of all family members:

Map out how you want your mornings, afternoons, and evenings to go. Figure out what goals you are trying to achieve. Having things mapped out in a time scheduled format is best and you have a greater chance at success if you stick to time guidelines. ...

If you are having trouble putting your children to bed, try establishing a bedtime routine; such as, brushing his/her teeth before bed and then settling them down with story time. ... Change will take time. Find out what works best for your family. This new system will help more than just your children; the whole family will benefit and know what to expect.

Tylenol After Vaccines Linked to Increased Risk of Autism

2010-02-12T02:46:00.000-08:00

A University of California, San Diego study found that children who took Tylenol after the administration of the Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine (MMR) had six times the risk for autism.

Dr. S.T. Schultz studied 86 children with autism and 80 control children and found there was no similar risk if the children were given ibuprofen after vaccination.

Many parents of children with autism , blamed mercury in vaccines for their children's conditions; however, this cause has been ruled out by previous studies.

The new study appears in the journal Autism.

Parenting ADHD Children Requires Ongoing Learning Effort

2010-02-10T03:13:00.000-08:00

When Mary Robertson's son was diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) she became actively involved in CHADD (Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) a national organization that raises awareness and offers support to families.

She thought she was well-versed in the traits of ADHD, until her daughter was born. Writer Susan Ince reported on Robertson's experience in an article on parenting.com:

Knowing that these kinds of problems tend to run in families, the Lexington, Kent., mother feared a similar ordeal when her second child was born. Instead, daughter Samantha was so laid-back that she never even received a time-out.

Surprisingly, Samantha's transition to school was also tough. Although she sat quietly, Samantha couldn't focus well enough to learn or even to play with the other kids. "There I was, on the national board of CHADD, and I completely missed that my daughter also had attention issues!" exclaims Robertson.

If even this savvy mom was caught off guard, how can less informed parents know when their youngster needs help? Indeed, more and more experts are saying that the way kids with attention troubles have been identified has done American families a disservice.

They're adamant that half of all kids with these difficulties are not being diagnosed, and those like Samantha -- who lack focus but don't exhibit other behavior that attracts notice -- are the most likely to slip through the cracks. (Often confusing is the clinical diagnosis for Samantha's problem: ADHD, predominantly inattentive type. In other words, she has a hyperactivity disorder without the hyperactivity.)

Irish Dad Protests School's Treatment of ADHD Son

2010-02-08T18:41:00.001-08:00

A man from Northern-Ireland took to the streets this week in protest over a school's treatment of his son, who has been diagnosed with ADHD.

A Feb. 5 article in the Portadown Times provided the following information about Paul McConville's protest:

A dispute between the father of a pupil with learning difficulties and Drumcree College went public last week when Craigavon man Paul McConville protested outside the school gates.

Mr McConville, whose son suffers from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and behavioural problems, took up position last Thursday afternoon, the school's open day. The father of six was carrying a placard and also handed out leaflets to parents of prospective pupils.

The man's 14-year-old son, who is in third year in the learning support class, has been absent from school for a number of months after disputes between the family and Drumcree College over a range of issues concerning the treatment and education of his son. ...

Said Mr McConville, "The school knew my son had behavioural problems when they admitted him in the first place."

Can Hippotherapy Help Your ADHD Child?

2010-02-05T13:25:00.000-08:00

Despite the way it sounds, "hippotherapy" doesn't have anything to do with hippopotamuses. "Hippo" comes from the Greek word meaning "horse," and hippotherapy refers to behavioral therapy techniques that use horses.

The American Hippotherapy Association defines hippotherapy as "a physical, occupational, and speech-language therapy treatment strategy that utilizes equine movement as part of an integrated intervention program to achieve functional outcomes." This is different than therapeutic riding, the AHA notes, as therapeutic riding only focuses upon teaching the child to ride a horse.

The principle of hippotherapy is that the horse's presence helps the child focus attention and learn more effectively. Children who have engaged in hippotherapy have experienced increased social functioning, improved speech and language skills, better balance and improved motor function.

Researchers Link Lead Exposure with ADHD

2010-02-04T14:29:00.001-08:00

The Centers for Disease Control reports that ADHD diagnoses have increased an average of 3 percent a year since 1997. It is now estimated to be among the costliest of behavioral disorders, and recent research indicates that exposure to lead may be somewhat to blame.

The Association for Psychological Science (APS) reported the following:

Emerging research ... suggests an environmental link for ADHD with some experts believing lead may be a culprit. Lead is a neurotoxin. ... It's found in trace amounts in everything from children’s costume jewelry to imported candies to soil and drinking water. ...

According to psychological scientist Joel Nigg of the Oregon Health & Science University, this universal low-level exposure makes lead an ideal candidate for the disorder's trigger.

Until recently, this was just a theory, but studies have begun to find evidentiary support, the APS reported:

One study found that children with ADHD did have slightly higher levels of lead in their blood.
The second study found a strong link between elevated blood levels of lead and reporting of ADHD symptoms by parents and teachers.

Loving Foster Homes Improve Attention, Impulsivity

2010-02-03T21:47:00.000-08:00

A study that will appear in the March issue of Pediatrics has found that foster children who are placed in loving, stable homes have fewer issues with attention and impulsivity.

The study was conducted through the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.
The study followed 252 children in 95 families for four years.
Researchers talked with biological parents, foster parents, teachers and the children themselves.
Most interesting and encouraging to researches was the affect environment had on symptoms related to ADHD – a disorder with proven biological components.

"Children whose parents reported higher parental warmth – how much do the parents like the child, how much affection the parent reports toward the child, how much time they spend together – showed fewer ADHD symptoms," HealthDay News reported, "while children whose parents reported hostility – being annoyed at the child, thinking the child a burden, being angry at the child – showed more ADHD symptoms."

Researchers Link Ambidextrousness, ADHD

2010-01-29T04:26:00.000-08:00

A study out of Europe has found a connection between being ambidextrous and having ADHD. Researchers studied nearly 8,000 children and found that ambidextrous 15- and 16-year-olds were twice as likely to have ADHD symptoms.

The adolescents also reported having greater difficulties with language than those who were left- or right-handed. This is in line with earlier studies that have linked mixed-handedness with dyslexia…

Some researchers have suggested that mixed-handedness indicated that the pattern of dominance is not that which is typically seen in most people, i.e. it is less clear that one hemisphere is dominant over the other. [Source: PsychCentral]

Though the study indicated that ambidextrous kids are at greater risk of developing ADHD, researchers cautioned against assuming ADHD is inevitable. Researchers have yet to discover the reason for the link.

Attention Issues, Abnormal Behaviors Not Necessarily Related to ADHD

2010-01-27T03:14:00.000-08:00

Between 1990 and 1998, more than 5 million children and adults were diagnosed with ADHD. Of those 5 million, some are likely to be gifted children who were misdiagnosed.

Writer Suki Wessling addressed the misdiagnosis of gifted children in a Jan 21 article on examiner.com:

Many parents of gifted children are familiar with Dabrowski’s theory of overexcitability in gifted people. However, teachers, therapists and family doctors are unlikely to have any knowledge or practical training in this area …

"Gifted children, many of who are also asynchronous (developing at different rates in different areas) encounter difficulties conforming to expectations, have behavior problems due to boredom, or otherwise struggle in a school setting," explains [Mike] Gustavson. ...

It's to clear to those who work with the gifted, however, that many of the physicians and mental health professionals prescribing ADHD drugs are probably dealing with, and not recognizing, gifted children.

"One of the things that I'm working with them on this is to try to educate pediatricians and family practitioners and nurse practitioners as well as psychologists," says [author James T. Webb, founder of Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted]. "Other than Wright State University, there just aren't graduate programs that specialize in training psychologists about the gifted."

Kids Who Don't Get Social Cues at Risk for Rejection

2010-01-25T13:34:00.000-08:00

Children who experience social rejection often lack three skills -- the ability to pick up on nonverbal and social cues, the ability to recognize what those cues mean, and the ability to respond to cues appropriately, according to new research published in the Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology.

Dr. Clark McKown and his colleagues at Rush University Medical Center studied 126 children referred by a psychological clinic and compared them to 158 children who had been chosen randomly from the Chicago school system.
Many children in the study had difficulty picking up on other children's body language and social cues. For example, they simply did not notice indicators like slumped shoulders and angry faces.
Among those who recognize the cues, many did not know how to respond to these cues or attach meaning to them.

"The number of children who cannot negotiate the steps and who are at risk for social rejection is startling," said Dr. McKown.

Can Video Game Give ADHD Kids Greater Control Over Behavior?

2010-01-22T04:32:00.000-08:00

Experts with the University of Hertfordshire have developed a video game that they believe may be able to help ADHD children gain greater control over their behaviors. Nicky Broyd of WebMD Health News profiled the game in a Dec. 8, 2010, article:

Researchers from the University of Hertfordshire’s School of Psychology have been testing the game called “Play Attention” which uses EEG (Electroencephalography) biofeedback by detecting brain waves.

Researchers got 10 children with an attention deficit from Hertfordshire schools to use it three times a week for twelve weeks.

Children have to wear what looks like a cycle helmet, but is really a set of brain wave sensors linked to a computer. As long as the child concentrates, they stay in control of the games; but if their attention waivers the game stops.

The researchers found that, at the end of the study, the children’s impulsive behaviour was reduced, compared to a control group who had not used the system.

Autism Clusters Linked to Education, Ethnicity, Geography

2010-01-21T04:35:00.000-08:00

Having educated parents does not cause autism. However, more cases of autism are diagnosed in areas where parents are older, better educated, and white.

More cases of autism are also diagnosed in communities near regional service centers for people with autism, according to a new study from University of California at Davis.

UCD researchers set out to find environmental factors that may cause autism clusters in certain geographic areas.
They were unable to find links to pollution or chemical exposure, and they suggest that areas with high rates of autism are probably just places where parents are more likely to obtain a diagnosis for a child.
Differences in parents' age, education, and ethnicity could explain autism clusters most of the time.

"These clusters correlated with neighborhoods of higher education or neighborhoods that were near a major treatment center for autism," said senior author Irva Hertz-Picciotto.

The study appeared in the journal Autism Research.

Gluten, Casein Linked to Behavioral Problems in Kids with ADHD

2010-01-20T12:29:00.000-08:00

Allergies to gluten and casein -- which have been shown to aggravate behavioral issues in children with ADHD -- appear to be on the rise. These substances are common in a variety of foods and ingredients, including wheat, rye, oats, milk, ice cream and yogurt. The official diagnosis for this type of allergy is "celiac disease."

"Although there is no scientific evidence on the effectiveness of gluten-free and/or casein-free diets, many parents have reported improvement in controlling the behavior and symptoms of their child … by following such a diet," Indianapolis Star correspondent Joanie Fuson reported in a Jan. 20 article.

Celiac disease is an inherited disorder that causes the immune system to attack the small intestine when gluten or casein is consumed. As a result, nutrients aren’t properly absorbed into the body.

Faulty Brain Connection Associated with ADHD

2010-01-17T22:40:00.000-08:00

Lack of communication can cause all sorts of trouble. Scientists from the University of California Davis have found that may it be causing trouble in kids with ADHD. A study of children’s brain waves has revealed that certain areas of an ADHD child’s brain don’t communicate appropriately during tasks that require attention.

"In the experiments, children with diagnosed ADHD and normal children were given a simple attention test while their brain waves were measured. The test consisted of being shown a red or blue image, or hearing a high or low sound, and having to react by pressing a button." (Source: UCD)

Visual cues should have resulted in brain wave changes, and did in kids without ADHD. But kids with ADHD showed little or no change, indicating a lack of communication between the frontal cortex and other parts of the brain. Researchers say it's the first time such a disconnect has been documented.

Writer Says Parents' Support Helped Her Deal with Challenges of ADHD

2010-01-14T08:44:00.000-08:00

Tennessee Reed has written six books. Her latest, Spell Albuquerque is a memoir about her experiences growing up with learning disabilities. She has also written a one-woman play that was produced in her hometown, and she’s currently writing a novella.

A Jan. 13 article by Angela Hill of the Oakland Tribune provided the following look at Reed's ability to overcome childhood challenges thanks in large part to the support of her mother and father:

[Reed's literary accomplishments are] not bad for someone who, when she was in kindergarten, was told by teachers and various education experts that her multiple learning disabilities, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, would prevent her from ever reading or writing, much less accomplishing much in life at all.
"Some people have stopped their lives after hearing something like that," Reed, 32, said from her West Oakland home, where she lives with her parents, renowned author Ishmael Reed and choreographer Carla Blank.
"But with my family, that's not our M.O.," Reed said, with a knowing grin. "We don't stop. Since I was a kid, I was always told to write 10 minutes a day. So I wrote journals and poems. It really comes naturally."