ADHD and Driving

Among drivers of all ages, teens are at the highest risk of getting into an accident. In fact, auto accidents are the leading cause of death among 16 to 20-year-olds, with 16-year-olds being at greatest risk. The risk factor increases dramatically for teens with ADHD.

"It's important for parents to talk with their teens about how ADHD can impact their driving ability and create risks on the road. Together, develop strategies to help limit distractions, focus attention, and make driving a safe experience."

Consider riding with your teen to allow him or her to practice driving skills. It gives you a chance to assess your child's driving abilities and determine if he or she is ready to drive alone. It's also important, if your teen has been prescribed ADHD medication, that he or she continues taking it unless a doctor has given permission to stop.

New Leaf Academy caters to girls with ADHD. Their girls boarding school staff know exactly what girls with ADHD need to get ahead in school and in relationships.

Manual Transmission may Help Teens with ADHD

The University of Virginia has been studying the driving habits of teenagers with ADHD. In an effort to find ways of making driving safer, they tested the performance of teenage boys when driving both manual and automatic transmission cars.

"The results show that the teens drove twice as better on a manual car than an automatic one. 'When I'm driving my manual I have to pay attention to the road more...' said Cory Cox, a teen driver."

Teens with ADHD are at risk of becoming inattentive while driving, increasing the danger to both themselves and others.

Read more at CharlottesvilleNewsPlex.tv.

Do ADHD Medications Help Teens Improve Driving?

A research team from the University of Virginia has launched a study aimed at determining if ADHD medications actually make teenagers with ADHD better drivers. Though lab studies have been conducted in the past, this team wants to study driving performance in "real life" situations.

"'In controlled laboratory studies, there are no cell phones, no pressures to get home before curfew, no passengers encouraging the driver to 'get air', no pets that slip from the driver's lap down to the pedals and no hamburger dripping with mustard in the driver's right hand,' said [Daniel] Cox [Ph.D]. 'This, however, is real world driving. We want to investigate the benefits of medications in the context of such real world distractions and demands.'"

The study will last for 6-months and will include "DriveCams" that will be mounted in cars to record audio-visual signals. Read more at ScienceDaily.com.

Principles for Parenting Adolescents with ADHD

Teenagers are challenging. Teenagers with ADHD can be especially challenging. Not because they determine to be unusually difficult, but simply because of the nature of ADHD. Arthur, L. Robin, PhD offers some suggestions for effectively guiding your teen through these difficult years.

"The principles outlined... are meant to be general guidelines, not rigid rules. They will work some of the time but certainly not all the time. I would urge you to consider them especially when you are stumped by your adolescent's actions, and derive your actions from one of these principles rather than reacting impulsively."

Some of the suggestions include ways to maintain adequate structure, facilitate independence, and use consequences wisely. Read more at ADD.org.

The Dangerous Combinations of Teens with ADHD and Driving

According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) ADHD is considered a neurobehavioral disorder which affects about 4.4 million children ages 4 to 17. Without medication a child, teen, or adult with ADHD has a difficult time following instructions, completing tasks, or concentrating on one thing at a time.

19-year-old Alison O'Brien of Virginia, learned an important lesson about driving NOT being under the influence of her ADHD medication.

"I started to feel a little woozy," she says, looking back at how she felt before the accident. No one was seriously hurt in the accident, but Miss O'Brien took a court-ordered driver's education course afterward, along with her father, who was there for support. She now keeps extra medication in her car just in case, although lethargy isn't a typical concern for ADHD teens behind the wheel.

Studies show that teens with ADHD can improve their ability to concentrate, therefore making them better, safer drivers when they regularly take their medications. Experts agree that when it comes to teen drivers, those diagnosed with ADHD and those without, extra precautions, like prohibiting the use of cell phones while driving, should always be taken. Read more from WashingtonTimes.com.