August 13, 2008
Mom's guiding ADHD superstars
What does it take to succeed despite attention deficit disorder?
It takes hard work, for starters -- a willingness to meet challenges head-on. It takes support from family members, teachers, therapists, and coaches. And, of course, it's hard to overstate the benefits of ADHD medication.
But, of all the ingredients needed to make a happy, successful life, nothing is more important than good parenting. Behind almost every ADHD success story is a devoted parent (or two). In honor of mothers, let's give credit where credit is due.
The three mothers profiled here helped their sons and daughters achieve great things -- more than they could have imagined. Steadfast and resourceful, they saw strength where others saw weakness, and kept looking for ways to help their children after others were ready to give up. Let their stories inspire you!
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August 12, 2008
ADHD - The Essential Guidebook
Does your child have frequent temper tantrums? Are they always fidgeting, running around screaming or falling over? Perhaps you teach a child like that.
If so, the chances are there's nothing to worry about and they are just being boisterous. But for five to ten percent of children it isn't that simple. These characteristics can be some of the symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). So, how can you tell the difference and what can you do about it?
Due out 1st August, Diane Paul's positive and supportive book is here to help. Its easy-to-read style guides parents and carers through the process: from spotting the symptoms and getting a diagnosis to receiving treatment and finding support.
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Are Tonsils Causing ADHD?
Doctors report a sharp rise in the number of children getting their tonsils out.
But, it's not because they're infected.
Instead, a tonsillectomy is the newest way to treat a serious sleep disorder that may lead to behavior problems.
Some parents say they've been able to take their children off of medicine to treat ADHD. Others have noticed improved grades, even an increase in IQ scores, after a tonsillectomy.
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August 11, 2008
Study: Young convicts worse off mentally
Young criminals often feel worse mentally compared to other young people, new statistics show. Despite this there is no specialized forensic care for young people in Sweden.
Young people that commit serious crimes have a ten-fold greater risk of psychosis than average, new statistics compiled by the Karolinska Institute in Solna show.
The incidence of ADHD and depression is two-five times more common in the group, writes Svenska Dagbladet online.
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August 10, 2008
Helping Phelps Find Gold Medal Focus
DEBORAH PHELPS'S third baby and only son was larger than life from Day 1 -- 9 pounds, 6 ounces and 23 inches long. As a little boy, said the mother, he asked 25 zillion questions, always wanting to be the center of attention. If he wasn't zooming by on his big-wheel tricycle, he was swinging past on the monkey bars.
Starting with preschool, teachers complained: Michael couldn't stay quiet at quiet time, Michael wouldn't sit at circle time, Michael didn't keep his hands to himself, Michael was giggling and laughing and nudging kids for attention.
As he entered public school, he displayed what his teachers called "immature" behavior. "In kindergarten I was told by his teacher, 'Michael can't sit still, Michael can't be quiet, Michael can't focus,' " recalled Ms. Phelps, who was herself a teacher for 22 years.
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August 7, 2008
Succeeding at School With ADHD: Free Back-to-School Handbook
NEW YORK -- In this free expert booklet, ADDitude magazine has assembled its best academic resources including a back-to-school checklist for parents, a sample letter introducing your child to new teachers, daytime medication guidelines, and learning strategies for students with attention-deficit disorder and learning disabilities.
ADDitude magazine, the leading publication for families and adults living with attention deficit disorder (ADHD), has released a free, downloadable back-to-school handbook for the parents and teachers of students with ADHD and learning disabilities.
Top learning specialists and ADHD professionals contributed to 9 Ways to Achieve Success at School ( http://www.additudemag.com/RCLP/sub/2728.html), the 14-page booklet that contains proven strategies for:
Continue reading "Succeeding at School With ADHD: Free Back-to-School Handbook"
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August 6, 2008
Study links enzyme disorder with ADHD
The results of a decade-long study conducted in the Norwegian town of Stavanger offers this simplistic option to parents with children suffering from hyperactive disorders including ADHD: Change their diet.
Twenty-three children from Norway's southwestern region -- ages four to 11 and all diagnosed with hyperactive disorders -- were put on milk-free and/or gluten-free diets based on theories developed by Dr. Karl Ludvig Reichelt.
Reichelt believes that children afflicted with such disorders suffer from a metabolic problem that hinders the adequate breakdown of certain proteins. So, eating certain foods like milk and gluten may accelerate ADHD (and other disorders) because these children lack an enzyme that breaks down proteins like casein (which is found in milk and enables milk-clotting to make cheese). Reichelt felt that reducing the intake of foods containing proteins would assist proper digestion, thus allowing the patients' hyperactivity to be controlled.
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Talk therapy becomes a luxury
Have you been to a therapist lately and just gotten pills?
It's becoming the norm. A study published this week in the AMA's Archives of General Psychiatry, conducted through Columbia and Beth Israel Hospitals, found the percentage of "talk hour" visits declined by a third from 1996-2005.
Instead, over 7 in 10 visits by 2004-2005 were just 15-minute "med checks."
Some stories on the study suggested the profession made this happen, but the authors, Ramin Mojtabai and Mark Olfson, were clear about the cause in their abstract.
It's insurance which has made pills more profitable than talk.
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August 4, 2008
Screen for brain health
I wonder how many doctors evaluating Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom combat veterans are also trained and experienced in child psychiatry. Some of these soldiers went into combat with a previous childhood diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. This puts them at greater risk ("Troops' brain injuries inspire a new mission," Cover story, News, July 24).
ADHD, traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder are all complex disorders with overlapping symptoms in the areas of memory concentration and irritability. One can compound the effects of another.
A contributing factor to a diagnosis of ADHD may be that of previous brain trauma in some form, such as premature birth or head injury.
Whatever the cause, even a mildly compromised brain is more vulnerable to injury from multiple blast exposure because the effects of the trauma are additive.
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August 3, 2008
How does diet affect mood?
If we really are what we eat, it may be a scary premise for some. Not only can food impact our health and well-being, it can also directly affect our moods, attention span and mental development. This is of particular concern for our growing children.
Sixty per cent of our brain's solid matter is composed of essential fats which enable effective communication.
A study of children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) found that over 80 per cent of the subjects were deficient in the omega three fats called DHA.
Other studies have consistently indicated that children with lower levels of these fats have significantly more behavioural problems, temper tantrums, in addition to learning and sleep difficulties.
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) represents up to 97 per cent of the omega three fats in our brain and is involved in complex thinking. Since our brain almost quadruples in mass by the age of five, this specific type of fat is especially important for children.
But this can be a challenge since rich sources are fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel and herring, which don't tend to be favourite foods among children.
Although there is limited Canadian data, it is estimated that American children only average 30-50 mg of this essential fat while experts recommend at least 300 mg daily for children and 500 mg for adults. Even though fish may also be a source of mercury and other contaminants, the benefits of the essential fats far outweigh the risks.
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